The Relationship Between Attachment Type And Dating Violence Among Medical College Students

ObjectiveThe purpose of the current study was to determinate gender-specific and the prevalence of dating violence and to examine the relationship between attachment type and dating violence among medical college students.MethodsA total of 3,421 college students of a medical college were participated in an online survey.Experiences of dating violence in the past six months,demographics variables,depression symptom,and attachment type were obtained.It was investigated with respect to dating violence and attachment type in the students who had a current or former intimate partner by self-rating depression scale(SDS)and experiences in close relationships scale(ECR).Logistic regression was used to identify the effect of attachment type on dating violence by gender with controlled for confounding factors.ResultsThe sample was composed of 1734(66.7% female)college students involved in a romantic relationship.Results showed that:(1)The rate of dating violence was about30%~40%;female students had a reported higher occurrence of physical and psychological dating violence perpetration and a reported lower occurrence of sexual dating violence victimization than male students;male students had a reported higher occurrence of physical and psychological dating violence victimization;There were significant differences among the groups(P<0.05).(2)The male students born in city had a reported higher occurrence of dating violence victimization than male students born in village.The male students who were an only child had a reported higher occurrence of physical dating violence victimization than male students who had brothers or sisters.The male students in grade 2 had a reported higher occurrence of physical dating violence perpetration and psychological dating violence perpetration and victimization than in grade 1.The male students whose father has high education level had a reported higher occurrence of physical dating violence victimization than male students whose father has lower education level.The male students who were not close with their fathers had a reported higher occurrence of physical and psychological dating violence perpetration than the male students close with their fathers.The male students who were not close with their mothers had a reported higher occurrence of psychological dating violence victimization and sexual dating violence perpetration than the male students close with their mothers.The female students whose mother has low education level had a reported higher occurrence of physical and psychological dating violence victimization than female students whose mother has high education level.There were significant differences among the groups(P<0.05).(3)Preoccupied type had a reported highest occurrence of psychological dating violence perpetration(21.6%)and victimization(31.7%),sexual dating violence perpetration(12.2%)and total dating violence perpetration(42.4%)and victimization(49.6%),and apathetic type had the lowest for men.Preoccupied type had a reported highest occurrence of physical dating violence perpetration(47.2%)and victimization(26.4%),psychological dating violence perpetration(47.8%)and victimization(36.5%),total dating violence perpetration(63.5%)and victimization(49.4%)and apathetic type had the lowest for women.There were significant differences among the groups(P<0.05).(4)Compared with secure attachment,preoccupied type was positively associated with psychological dating violence victimization(OR=2.41,95%CI 1.11~5.22)for men.And,preoccupied type was positively associated with psychological dating violence perpetration(OR=2.94,95%CI 1.67~5.17)and victimization(OR=5.39,95%CI 2.62~11.10),total datingviolence perpetration(OR=1.66,95%CI 1.01~2.74)and victimization(OR=2.34,95%CI 1.38~3.97)for women.ConclusionThere was a high occurrence of dating violence among college students.Preoccupied type was positively associated with dating violence perpetration and victimization for students in college,especially for females.Promoting working models of secure attachment might reduce dating violence in college students and promote their physical and emotional health.