The preliminary study for the process from attachment anxiety to physical aggression: The escalation theory of domestic violence

This study aims to provide preliminary evidence of the process by which high attachment anxiety leads to physical attacks from the perspective of the escalation theory of domestic violence (DV). A scenario of a romantic conflict was presented to survey respondents, and the respondents’ jealousy and their coping behaviors were measured. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that not only did a pattern emerge of relationships in which a high degree of attachment anxiety enhanced physical aggression through high psychological aggression toward partners, but also that the relationship between attachment anxiety and psychological aggression was mediated by the intensity of the emotional and cognitive aspects of jealousy and by coping behaviors with conflict in a romantic relationship. The results suggest the need to elaborate on the process by which high attachment anxiety leads to physical attacks from the lens of the escalation theory of DV.