Engendered Expressions of Aggression: The Role of Gender, Proprietary Behaviors, and Jealousy in Intimate Partner Violence

Over 20% of college students have reported dating violence by a current partner. The present study examines factors that contribute to physical and verbal aggression among college students on the Southwest U.S.–Mexico border. Four hundred sixty-one college students (322 females, 139 males) completed an online survey to examine the role of gender, relational proprietariness ( i.e. , feeling a sense of ownership and entitlement toward one's partner), and jealousy in predicting physical and verbal aggression. Results indicated that males reported greater verbal aggression than females, while females reported more proprietary behaviors and physical aggression than males. Verbal aggression was predicted by being male, jealousy, and proprietary behaviors. Physical aggression was predicted by being a victim of physical abuse over and above being female and displaying jealousy and proprietary behaviors. Findings underscore the importance of gender in understanding how jealousy and proprietary behaviors contribute to different expressions of relational aggression.