Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research

Bruce D. Bonta

2013 Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research

doi: 10.1108/JACPR-01-2013-0002

Purpose – Peaceful societies, groups of people described by social scientists as experiencing little if any internal or external violence, embrace the need for peacefulness, in contrast to most of the contemporary world, which accepts violence as normal and inevitable. The purpose of this article is to examine the ways that people in those societies view peacefulness, and to compare those ways with more “normal” violent societies. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is a literature review of salient trends about anti‐violence among some of the more highly peaceful societies, and comparable trends in two state‐level societies—Norway, a relatively peaceful state, and the USA, a relatively more violent one. Findings – The findings show that some of the peaceful societies avoid violence through nonresistance—not resisting aggression. In addition, many base their commitments to peacefulness on religious and mythological beliefs, though for others, peacefulness is based on cultural values or is seen as a practical, reasonable way to order their lives. The societies that appear to have very firm commitments to nonviolence are the ones where structures of peacefulness thrive. Originality/value – The practical value of this research is that it points out how the peaceful societies can be contrasted with modern nation states, and it may suggest ways to challenge general patterns of violence.

Darlington Mutanda

2013 Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research

doi: 10.1108/JACPR-01-2013-0003

Purpose – In light of the continuing political violence in Zimbabwe since 1980, the major aim of this article is to evaluate the benefits of mediation in resolving politically motivated conflicts in Zimbabwe and Africa at large. Since the 1980s, Zimbabwe has found itself in a web of political violence with little mediation efforts devised to stop the suffering. The paper believes that mediation can have far reaching outcomes in bringing stability to countries burdened by politically motivated violence. The African Union and regional organisations have the capacity to resolve various conflicts burdening the continent, provided realistic mechanisms are put in place to avoid the recurrence of conflicts and/or wars in Africa. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a combination of both primary and secondary sources to substantiate the argument advanced herein. Archival material from the National Archives of Zimbabwe helps to exemplify the political antagonisms which existed after independence, thereby giving a fuller picture of events leading to Gukurahundi. Additionally, secondary material is beneficial in highlighting the political conflicts affecting Zimbabwe after independence. Newspapers play an important part in revealing the challenges of South African mediation in Zimbabwe. In addition, newspapers elucidate the urgent need for SADC to establish a conflict resolution organ for the successful settlement of disputes in the region. Findings – The paper reveals how the realisation by the southern African region on the deteriorating political and economic situation in Zimbabwe led to the appointment of Thabo Mbeki in 2007 to restore peace and stability in the country. More so, the paper analyses the challenges of South African mediation in Zimbabwe. In that context, the article suggests pragmatic strategies and tactics which should be put in place for mediation to yield effective results in Zimbabwe and the continent at large. Originality/value – The paper provides deep insights into the merits of the strategy of mediation in an attempt to curb political violence in African countries. Policy makers will find the paper useful as the continent looks forward to promote sustainable development.

Suzanne Martin; Axel Klein

2013 Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research

doi: 10.1108/JACPR-03-2013-0008

Purpose – The self‐reports of bullies or victims of workplace bullying appear to result in confused responses that fail to clarify who is doing what to whom. The research reported in this paper aimed to examine how staff from human resources and occupational health conceptualized and assessed cases of alleged bullying. Design/methodology/approach – The research relied on semi‐structured interviews with managers, human resource staff, occupational health staff, mediators, trade union representatives, and staff members who were both victims and alleged perpetrators of bullying. The staff contributing came from an NHS trust, two universities and a criminal justice agency. Findings – Staff were reluctant to document or reveal information about the frequency and severity of bullying within their services. Despite this, three key themes emerged from the interviews that seemed to inform individual and organisational responses: the ethos of professionalism, the ambiguous role of human resources and the presumption of mutuality. Research limitations/implications – Reliance on interpretations of workplace bullying that defend both individual staff members and the organization had implications for victims. By not naming reported problems as bullying, the organization could limit its responsibility to act. Failure to identify and document bullying limited the research but also poorly served victimized individuals. Practical implications – Services require training to help them move beyond a presumption that the self‐reports of bullies are a reliable source of assessment data. Social implications – Effective identification and assessment of bullying situations would be the first step towards reducing the psychological impact of the problem. Experience of workplace bullying is highly correlated with health and mental health problems of targeted individuals. Originality/value – This paper capitalizes on insights from the field of domestic violence in highlighting the need for clarity about the nature of coercive control. The paper will be valuable to individuals and organisations charged with the task of tackling workplace bullying.

Jürgen Koller

2013 Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research

doi: 10.1108/JACPR-01-2013-0005

Purpose – In 1994, Dutton questioned whether there is an ecological fallacy within the feminist views of wife assault. To address this concern, he examined the literature regarding dyadic family power and violence. The main goal in this paper is to re‐evaluate the results of the Dutton paper on the basis of new literature. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, post‐1994 evidence is presented against the feminist paradigm of patriarchy, which can lead directly to this ecological fallacy. The assertions of this feminist paradigm positing that domestic violence is often linked to patriarchal values and is mainly caused by males, whereas female violence is primarily defensive and reactive, are well‐founded criticized. Findings – The data analysed in this paper support Dutton's conclusions in the context of female perpetrated violence within heterosexual intimate partnerships, female sexual offense, child abuse and bullying, violence in female same‐sex relationships, and gender stereotypes. Originality/value – An accurate overview of the post‐1994 literature the topics discussed in this paper is offered.

Laura Stockdale; Sarah Tackett; Sarah M. Coyne

2013 Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research

doi: 10.1108/JACPR-09-2012-0003

Purpose – The current study aimed to investigate potential sex differences in the use of verbal aggression in romantic relationships. Design/methodology/approach – The current study used meta‐analytic methodology to analyze 20 studies to understand gender differences in the use of verbal aggression in romantic relationships. Findings – The results found that women used more verbal aggression than men in romantic relationships; however, overall levels of verbal aggression use were relatively high regardless of sex. Research imitations/implications – Limitations of the current research, such as calling for less exploratory research and the need for theories grounded in human coupling research, and suggestions for future research are provided. Practical implications – Advice for clinicians and practitioners regarding verbal aggression in romantic relationships is discussed with particular emphasis on the possibility of including measures against verbal aggression in interventions on positive couple communication. Originality/value – The current study adds to the literature by addressing which sex uses more verbal aggression in romantic relationships and providing a critical review of the existing literature with recommendations and limitations of the field.

Alexander Wettstein; Mara Brendgen; Frank Vitaro; Fanny‐Alexandra Guimond; Nadine Forget‐Dubois; Stéphane Cantin; Ginette Dionne; Michel Boivin

2013 Journal of Aggression Conflict and Peace Research

doi: 10.1108/JACPR-11-2012-0011

Purpose – Distinguishing between physical and social aggression, this study aimed to examine whether the predictive effect of aggression on resource control is moderated by prosocial behavior and corresponds to a linear or a curvilinear trend. Moderating effects of children's social preference among peers and child sex in this context were also tested. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a sample of 682 kindergarten children (348 girls; average age 72.7 months, 3.6 SD), multilevel regressions revealed additive linear effects of social preference and prosociality on resource control. Findings – Moderate (but not high) levels of social aggression also facilitated resource control for disliked children. There was no such threshold effect for well‐liked children, who increasingly controlled the resource the more socially aggressive they were. In contrast, physical aggression hampered resource control unless used very modestly. Originality/value – The present study has a number of positive features. First, the distinction between physical and social aggression improves our understanding of the relation between aggression and social competence and sketches a more differentiated picture of the role of different forms of aggression in resource control. Second, this study combines the concept of resource control with the concept of social preference and investigates curvilinear effects of aggression. Third, the direct observation of resource control in the Movie Viewer increases the internal validity of this study.