Conflict with Family

Abstract

This entry describes a specific application or adaptation of the Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS), designed to measure interactional behaviors used during conflict with immediate family members, specifically a Brother, Sister, or Parent. The instrument captures a broad spectrum of responses, ranging from non-violent negotiation tactics to acts of severe physical violence. It is fundamentally a self-report measure used extensively in research concerning family violence and aggression within household settings.

The scale employs a frequency rating system to quantify how often specific conflict tactics were utilized over a defined period, providing data on both the initiation and experience of aggressive and non-aggressive behaviors within the family unit. The underlying theoretical foundation is rooted in the work of Murray A. Straus and colleagues.

Keywords

Conflict Tactics Scales, CTS, Family Conflict, Sibling Violence, Parent-Child Conflict, Aggression, Domestic Violence, Murray Straus, Psychological Aggression, Physical Assault.

Authors

Murray A. Straus (Primary Developer of the Conflict Tactics Scales), Richard J. Gelles, Sherry L. Hamby, and colleagues involved in the development of the CTS and its subsequent revisions (CTS2, PCCTS).

Purpose

The primary purpose of this adaptation of the Conflict Tactics Scales is to quantify the methods individuals use to resolve or engage in conflicts with specific family members (siblings or parents). It aims to provide researchers and clinicians with empirical data regarding the prevalence and severity of different conflict tactics, classifying them into categories such as negotiation, psychological aggression, and physical violence.

This measurement tool allows for systematic comparisons of conflict resolution strategies across different family structures and demographic groups, facilitating the study of risk factors associated with family violence and aggression patterns within the home environment.

Construct

The core construct measured is Conflict Tactics, defined as the specific behavioral actions taken by an individual in response to a disagreement or conflict with another family member. These tactics are operationalized into distinct behavioral categories, reflecting a continuum of severity and intent.

The items provided in the source material clearly delineate three major sub-constructs typically found in the full CTS: Negotiation/Reasoning (e.g., discussing calmly), Psychological Aggression (e.g., yelling, insulting, sulking), and Physical Assault (e.g., hitting, throwing objects, pushing). By measuring the frequency of these behaviors, researchers can assess the overall level of hostility and violence present in specific family relationships.

Validity

The psychometric properties of the underlying Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS and CTS2) are extensively documented in academic literature. Content validity is supported by comprehensive item generation covering the full range of conflict behaviors, from reasoning to severe physical violence. Numerous studies confirm construct validity, showing the scales differentiate between non-violent and violent populations and correlate logically with measures of stress, anger, and relationship satisfaction.

Specifically, the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2), upon which this measure is based, demonstrate improved validity over the original scale through the inclusion of injury items and enhanced measurement of psychological aggression. The instrument’s ability to predict future occurrences of violence also provides strong evidence of its criterion validity in family research settings.

Reliability

The Reliability of the CTS framework, particularly as applied in family conflict settings, is generally strong. Internal consistency, measured by Cronbach’s Alpha, typically ranges from acceptable to high across the various subscales, especially for the Physical Assault and Psychological Aggression subscales, indicating that items within a subscale measure the same underlying trait consistently.

Test-retest reliability has been established in multiple longitudinal studies, indicating that the scale provides consistent measurements of conflict behavior over time, provided the relationship context remains stable. The detailed documentation provided by Straus confirms the consistency and stability of the measurement tool across diverse samples.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis studies conducted on the full Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS and CTS2) consistently identify multiple underlying dimensions of conflict behavior. The original CTS typically yielded three factors: Reasoning, Verbal Aggression, and Physical Violence.

The revised version, CTS2, which forms the basis for this family conflict measure, generally resolves into five distinct factors: Negotiation, Psychological Aggression, Physical Assault, Sexual Coercion, and Injury. This multi-factor structure supports the theoretical distinction between constructive conflict resolution and escalating levels of violence and aggression, confirming the scale’s utility for detailed analysis of conflict patterns.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report inventory based on behavioral frequency.

Format: Structured questionnaire utilizing a 6-point frequency scale (0=Never to 5=More than once a month).

Language Available: English (Original), with numerous translations available for the broader CTS framework.

Population Group: Individuals reporting on conflict dynamics involving siblings or parents.

Age Group: Typically utilized with adolescents and adults capable of providing retrospective frequency data (e.g., 12 years and older).

Population Details: Used across general population surveys, clinical settings, and studies focusing on family sociology and domestic violence.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate the frequency (how often) they or their family member used each specific tactic during a conflict over a reference period, typically the preceding year. This allows for the calculation of scale scores for different tactics (e.g., physical violence score).

Keywords

Intrafamily conflict, Conflict Resolution, Psychological maltreatment, Violence measurement, Psychometric Data, Murray A. Straus, CTS2, Family dynamics, Behavioral measurement.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Family Research Laboratory, University of New Hampshire (Historical Affiliation for M. A. Straus).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The foundational research leading to the Conflict Tactics Scales began in the 1970s (1974), with subsequent revisions culminating in the CTS2 in 1996. The specific format presented here is derived from the CTS2x-Abridged version. The original PDF for an abridged version is available here: http://pubpages.unh.edu/ch‎armas2/CTS41%20(CTS2x-Abridged).pdf.

For large-scale commercial or clinical applications, formal permission may be required from the copyright holders or the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire. Researchers are advised to consult the official scale manual for current licensing and usage fees.

Reference’s

• Straus, M. A. (1974). Leveling, civility, and violence in the family. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 36, 13-29.
• Straus, Murray A. (1979). Measuring Intrafamily Conflict and Violence: The Conflict Tactics (CT) Scales. Journal of Marriage and Family, 41(1), 75-88.
• Straus, M. A. (1990). The Conflict Tactics Scale and its critics: An evaluation and new data on validity and reliability. In M. A. Straus & R. J. Gelles, Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations to violence in 8,145 families (pp. 49-73). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishing.
• Straus, Murray A.; Gelles, Richard J. (1990). Physical Violence in American Families: Risk Factors and Adaptations to Violence in 8,145 Families. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.
• Straus, M. A. (1995). Manual for the Conflict Tactics Scales. Durham, NH: Family Research Laboratory, University of New Hampshire.
• Straus. M. A, & Hamby, S. L. (1995). Measuring physical and psychological maltreatment of children with the Conflict Tactics Scales. Durham, NH: University of New Hampshire.
• Straus, M. A, Hamby, S. L., Finkelhor, D., & Runyan, D. (1996). The Parent-Child Conflict Tactic Scales (PCCTS): Development and psychometric data for a national sample of parents. Manuscript in preparation.
• Straus, Murray A.; Hamby, Sherry L.; Boney-McCoy, Susan; Sugarman, David B. (1996). “The Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2): Development and Preliminary Psychometric Data”. Journal of Family Issues. 17 (3), 283–316 [308-309].
• Straus, Murray A.; Hamby, Sherry L. (1997). “Measuring Physical and Psychological Maltreatment of Children with the Conflict Tactics Scales”. In Kantor, Glenda Kaufman; Jasinski, Jana L. Out of the Darkness: Contemporary Research Perspectives on Family Violence. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. pp. 119–135.
• Straus, Murray A.; Hamby, Sherry L.; Finkelhor, David; Moore, David W.; Runyan, Desmond (1998). “Identification of Child Maltreatment with the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales: Development and Psychometric Data for a National Sample of American Parents”. Child Abuse and Neglect. 22 (4), 249–270.
• Straus, Murray A. (2004). “Scoring the CTS2 and CTSPC”. Family Research Laboratory, University of New Hampshire.
• Straus, Murray A.; Douglas, Emily M. (2004). “A Short Form of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales, and Typologies for Severity and Mutuality”. Violence and Victims, 19 (5), 507-520.
• Straus, Murray A. (2007). “Conflict Tactics Scales”. In Jackson, Nicky Ali. Encyclopedia of Domestic Violence. New York, Routledge. p. 194.
• Straus, Murray A. (2008). “Dominance and symmetry in partner violence by male and female university students in 32 nations”. Children and Youth Services Review. 30 (3), 252–275.
• Straus, M. A., Gelles, R. J. (1990). Conflict Tactics Scales (CT). IN Fischer, Joel. & Corcoran, Kevin J. (2007). Measures for Clinical Practice and research: A sourcebook. (4th ed.). NY. Oxford University Pr. 1, 227-231.

Items of the Conflict with Family

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Conflict with Brother or Sister or Parent

A. Tried to discuss the issue relatively calmly

B. Did discuss the issue relatively calmly

C. Got information to back up his/her side of things

D. Brought in someone else to help settle things (or tried to)

E. Argued heatedly but short of yelling

F. Yelled and/or insulted

G. Sulked and/or refused to talk about it

H. Stomped out of the room

I. Threw something (but not at the other) or smashed something

J. Threatened to hit or throw something at the other

K. Threw something at the other

L. Pushed, grabbed, or shoved the other

M. Hit (or tried to hit) the other person but not with anything

N. Hit (or tried to hit) the other person with something hard

O. Other. Please describe:

The scoring range is based on frequency over a reference period:

0 =Never, 1= Once that year, 2=Two or three times, 3=Often, but less than once a month, 4 =About once a month, 5=More than once a month