Correspondence between self-report measures of interpersonal aggression

Self-report itemized paper-and-pencil surveys are commonly used measures of inter-personal violence, Yet little evidence exists regarding their accuracy,. In this study, the authors compared high school students' reports for verbal, physical, and sexual aggression using standard-method self-report surveys with those obtained using scenario-based self-report questionnaires. The latter measure yielded not only, lower reported rates but also different patterns of sex differences in perpetration and victimization. Evidence for the correspondence between the two methods was slightly stronger for self-reported sexual aggression than for verbal or physical aggression. The results add to the growing literature calling for further study of the accuracy of self-report measures of interpersonal aggression.