Gender and spousal violence: A test of social control and power-control theories. Free Inquiry in Creative Sociology

This research will provide an explanation of spousal violence that previously has been lacking in the family violence literature--a social control approach. This research tests the hypothesis that those with stronger bonds to society will be less likely to ellj;lage in Sp<?Usal violence. Furthermore, this research will Incorporate the role that family structures have in stratifying SOCial control for males and females by testing power-control theory. This theory suggests that women from egalitarian households of origin will be more likely to commitwife-tcrhusband violence than those from patriarchal households. Results derived from log it models provide partial support for social control theory; however, there is a lack of evidence to support power-control theory's explanation of wife-to-husband violence