Leveling, Civility, and Violence in the Family

The factual basis for therapy and family advice urging in the sense of giving free expression to aggressive feelings is reviewed and the results of a study of 385 couples presented. The study tested the hypothesis that verbal aggression is a substitute for physical aggression. Opposite results were found: the more verbal expression of aggression, the more physical aggression. A similar analysis of intellectualizing marital conflicts found that such an approach is associated with low amounts of physical violence. These results apply most strongly for working-class couples. Historical and social trends which could account for the popularity of leveling approaches to marriage, despite considerable evidence suggesting the opposite, are discussed.