Measuring Intrafamily Conflict and Violence: The Conflict Tactics (CT) Scales

Abstract

Development of research on intrafamily and violence requires both conceptual clarity and measures of the concepts. The introduction to this paper therefore seeks to clarifj and distinguish the concepts of conflict, conflict of interest, hostility, and violence. The main part qf the paper describes the Conflict Tactics (CT) Scales. The CT Scales are designed to measure the use qf Reasoning, VerbalAggression, and Violence within the family. Information is presented on the following aspects of this instrument: theoretical rational, acceptability to respondents, scoring, factor structure, reliability, validity, and norms for a nationally representative sample of 2,143 couples.