International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience
Open Access

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in perpetration of low intensity intimate partner aggression in South Sudan, to compare levels of perpetration, victimization and further to test whether the revised gender symmetry theory (Archer, 2018) could be applicable in an African country. A questionnaire was filled in by 302 females and 118 males in South Sudan, the mean age was 22.5 years (SD 8.4) for women, and 25.6 years (SD 7.8) for men. Intimate partner aggression was measured with self-reports using both the perpetrator and the victim versions of the Direct Indirect Aggression Scales for Adults (DIAS-Adult; Österman & Björkqvist, 2009), which measures seven types of aggressive behaviours. The results showed no significant difference between females and males on perpetration of five out of seven types of aggression; physical, verbal and nonverbal aggression, as well as direct and indirect aggressive social manipulation. For females, levels of victimization and perpetration of aggression were equally high; this was the case for all seven types of aggression while, for males, victimization was significantly higher than perpetration on three types of aggression. The results provide support for the revised gender symmetry theory in an African developing country. Recent Publications 1. Ndoromo O, Österman K and Björkqvist K (2017) Sex differences in victimization from low intensity intimate partner aggression in South Sudan. European Journal of Social Sciences Education and Research. 2. Nazar N, Österman K and Björkqvist K (2017) Religious tolerance, views on gender equality and bellicose attitudes: A study among Pakistani students from three types of schools. European Journal of Social Sciences Education and Research. 3. Khademi J, Björkqvist K and Österman K (2017) A study of mental wellbeing of imprisoned women in Iran. European Journal of Social Sciences Education and Research. 4. Banyanga J D, Björkqvist K and Österman K (2017) Trauma inflicted by genocide: Experiences of the Rwandan Diaspora in Finland. Cogent Psychology. 5. Ndoromo O, Österman K and Björkqvist K (2017) Domestic violence as a risk factor for children ending up sleeping in the streets of post-war South Sudan. Journal of Child and Adolescent Behaviour.

Biography

Karin Österman has completed her PhD in Developmental Psychology. She is an Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology at Åbo Akademi University and Adjunct Professor of Social Psychology at Helsinki University and a Licensed Psychologist. She is also the Director of Master’s Degree Programme on Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research at Åbo Akademi University, Vasa, Finland. Her research includes studies on physical punishment of children, domestic aggression, child abuse, conflict resolutions and temper tantrums.
Email:karin.osterman@abo.fi