This study explored patterns of controlling behavior, physical violence, and attitudes toward social limits in 437 male and female Mexican university students in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Students reported experiences of controlling behavior and physical violence with partners, as well as their attitudes toward social norms. Results found similar levels of experienced controlling behavior and physical violence perpetration/victimization between males and females. Participants generally expressed adjusting to social norms rather than overstepping them, though males tended to overstep limits more. Relationships with mutual physical violence and controlling behavior showed higher chronicity than unidirectional violence. The implications involve acknowledging changing dynamics in more educated young Mexicans and recognizing intimate partner violence as heterogeneous for interventions.

1. Physical Intimate Partner Violence and Controlling
Behavior in Mexican University Students and Their
Attitudes Toward Social Limits
Esteban Eugenio Esquivel Santoveña, PhD
esteban.esquivel@uacj.mx
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Esteban_Esquivel-Santovena

2. Suggested citation
• Esquivel-Santoveña, E. E., Rodríguez-Hernández, R., Castillo-
Viveros,N., López-Orozco, F., & Oudhof-van Barneveld, H. (2017).
Physical intimate partner violence and controlling behavior in
Mexican unicersity students and their attitudes toward social
limits. Journal of interpersonal Violence (advance online
publication). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260516681879

3. The study
• This study explored patterns of controlling behaviour, physical
violence, and attitudes toward social limits in young Mexican
university students in light of the effect that socialization
processes have in attitudes toward social norms and violent
behavior as indicated in some of the literature.

4. Method
• A total of 437 male and female heterosexual participants
residing in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, provided information on
their perpetration/victimization experiences of controlling
behaviour (by means of the Controlling Behaviours Scale) and
physical violence (using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales
[CTS2]) and their attitudes toward social limits (using the
Attitudes Toward Social Limits scale).

5. Results
• Results indicate similar chronicity levels of experienced controlling
behaviour and physical violence perpetration/victimization between
the sexes. Participants expressed major tendency to adjust to a social
norm rather than overstepping it. Males tend to overstep social limits
more often than females, although no significant linear relationship
was found between abusive behavior and attitudes promoting the
infringement of social norms. Higher chronicity levels were rather
found by dyadic type, relationships with mutual physical intimate
partner violence (IPV), and controlling behavior in comparison with
relationships where unidirectional violence prevails.

6. Discussion
• Implications of findings involve the acknowledgment of change
in dynamics used by more educated young Mexicans, and the
recognition of IPV in these populations as a heterogeneous
phenomenon for primary and secondary interventions.