Relational aggression in romantic relationships: A study into gender differences, correlates and predictors

This study examined the role of gender, romantic relational victimization, stress, physical activity, and sleep quality on romantic relational aggression in a sample of young adults (N = 371). Findings indicated that women reported using romantic relational aggression more than men, while men were more likely to report being a victim of romantic relational aggression than women. Stress emerged as a positive predictor of romantic relational aggression, explaining the majority of the variance, while physical activity and romantic relational victimization emerged as negative predictors. Additionally, stress mediated the relationship between physical activity and romantic relational aggression. The present study indicates that stress and physical activity are potential avenues to explore during the development of prevention and intervention protocols.