The most common way to measure domestic violence is the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS). The CTS can be administered a variety of ways, but a common way is to ask people about a series of specific...

The most common way to measure domestic violence is the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS). The CTS can be administered a variety of ways, but a common way is to ask people about a series of specific physical acts used by a partner against them, either ever in the history of the relationship or over a specific amount of time (for example, over the past six months or in the past year). Typically people are either asked to answer yes/no for each act or answer how many times it has happened, with none being included as an option. If they answer "yes" or a number of times greater than zero for any item, a person would be considered a victim of domestic violence.

Here are the items researchers typically use for the CTS:

• threw something at me that could hurt


• twisted my arm or pulled my hair


• pushed or shoved me


• grabbed me


• slapped me


• punched me or hit me with something that could hurt


• kicked me


• choked me (personal note here because this is a pet peeve of mine and of many in the field - this should say strangled, since choking is when something is stuck in a person's throat, not when they cannot breath because there is something around their neck, like their partner's hands)


• slammed me against the wall


• beat me up


• burned or scalded me on purpose


• used a knife or gun on me

After carefully considering the list above, what do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of using this as a measure for domestic violence? Who or what might be excluded and why is that a problem? Are there actions or people who might be included who you do not think should be? Why? How might this overestimate or underestimate the number of people who have experienced domestic violence?