This study explored the relationship between family interactions, personality variables, and courtship violence. African American college students who were dating were administered the Conflict Tactics Scale and a series of other measures. Findings indicate that more than half of the Afncan Americanfemales and males had insulted, refused to talk to, or made spiteful comments to a dating partner Females reported using more physical violence against a dating partner than did males. The studyfound the perception of the dating partner's behavior to be more important than any other variable in determining whether violence is used to resolve conflict in dating relationships. The article discusses how these findings compare to other courtship violence research and concludes with implications for clinical practice.
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