Women are more likely to be physically and verbally aggressive towards their partner than men, according to a study on domestic violence.

More than 1,000 men and women aged 18 to 22 were questioned about their behaviour using a scale of verbal and physical aggression.

The verbal aggression scale included shouting, screaming and insulting, while the physical aggression scale ranged from pushing and grabbing to beating, throwing things and using weapons.

Women were “significantly” more likely to be verbally and physically aggressive to their male partners than men were to women.

The women who were violent also displayed “controlling” behaviour, such as checking up on their partners and persuading them not to see particular friends, leading researchers to conclude that their violence was related to