Abstract

There has always been an assumption among researchers that verbal aggression often leads to acts of violence. In fact, verbal aggression has been called the most significant precursor to the act of murder (Zillmann 1973). The purpose of this research is to not only understand the impact of verbal aggression on violent outcomes, but to determine if communication style and attitude towards communication by college students have any impact on their antisocial behavior, including physical violence. We surveyed 526 college students to determine the effect of their free speech attitudes and each type of communication style on the antisocial outcomes of physical violence, hate speech, marijuana use and alcohol intoxication. We found significant relationships between communication style and certain antisocial behaviors.