Abstract
Dating aggression is a prevalent and costly public health concern. Using a relational risk framework, this study examined acute and chronic relational risk factors (negative interactions, jealousy, support, and relationship satisfaction) and their effects on physical and psychological dating aggression. The study also examined the interaction between chronic and acute risk, allowing us to assess how changes in acute risk have differing effects depending on whether the individual is typically at higher chronic risk. A sample of 200 youth (100 female) completed seven waves of data, which spanned 9 years from middle adolescence to young adulthood (M age at Wave 1 = 15.83). Using hierarchical linear modeling, analyses revealed both acute (within-person) and chronic (between-person) levels in jealousy, negative interactions, and relationship satisfaction, were associated with physical and psychological dating aggression. Significant interactions between chronic and acute risk emerged in predicting physical aggression for negative interactions, jealousy, and relationship satisfaction such that those with higher levels of chronic risk are more vulnerable to increases in acute risk. These interactions between chronic and acute risk indicate that risk is not static, and dating aggression is particularly likely to occur at certain times for youth at high risk for dating aggression. Such periods of increased risk may provide opportunities for interventions to be particularly effective in preventing dating aggression or its consequences. Taken together, these findings provide support for the role of relational risk factors for dating aggression. They also underscore the importance of considering risk dynamically.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Breiding, M. J., Chen, J., & Black, M. C. (2014). Intimate partner violence in the United States: 2010. Atlanta: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Brooks-Russell, A., Foshee, V. A., & Reyes, H. L. M. (2015). Dating violence. In T. P. Gullotta, R. W. Plant, & M. Evans (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent behavioral problems (pp. 559–576). New York: Springer.
Burk, W. J., & Seiffge-Krenke, I. (2015). One-sided and mutually aggressive couples: Differences in attachment, conflict prevalence, and coping. Child Abuse and Neglect. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.08.011.
Cano, A., Avery-Leaf, S., Cascardi, M., & O’Leary, K. D. (1998). Dating violence in two high school samples: Discriminating variables. Journal of Primary Prevention, 18, 431–446. doi:10.1023/A:1022653609263.
Capaldi, D. M., Kim, H. K., & Shortt, J. W. (2004). Women’s involvement in aggression in young adult romantic relationships: A developmental systems model. In M. Putallez & K. L. Bierman (Eds.), Aggression, antisocial behavior, and violence among girls: A developmental perspective (pp. 223–241). New York: Guilford Press.
Capaldi, D. M., Knoble, N. B., Shortt, J. W., & Kim, H. K. (2012). A systematic review of risk factors for intimate partner violence. Partner Abuse, 3, 231–280. doi:10.1891/1946-6560.3.2.231.
Connolly, J., Friedlander, L., Pepler, D., Craig, W., & Laporte, L. (2010). The ecology of adolescent dating aggression: Attitudes, relationships, media use, and socio-demographic risk factors. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma, 19, 469–491.
Curran, P. J., & Bauer, D. J. (2011). The disaggregation of within-person and between-person effects in longitudinal models of change. Annual Review of Psychology, 62, 583–619. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100356.
Foran, H. M., & O’Leary, K. D. (2008). Alcohol and intimate partner violence: A meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 28, 1222–1234. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2008.05.001.
Furman, W., & Buhrmester, D. (2009). Methods and measures: The network of relationships inventory—behavioral systems version. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 33, 470–478.
Furman, W., Low, S., & Ho, M. J. (2009). Romantic experience and psychosocial adjustment in middle adolescence. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 38, 75–90. doi:10.1080/15374410802575347.
Giordano, P. C., Soto, D. A., Manning, W. D., & Longmore, M. A. (2010). The characteristics of romantic relationships associated with teen dating violence. Social Science Research, 39, 863–874. doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2010.03.009.
Graham, J. W., Olchowski, A. E., & Gilreath, T. D. (2007). How many imputations are really needed? Some practical clarifications of multiple imputation theory. Prevention Science, 8, 206–213. doi:10.1007/s11121-007-0070-9.
Kaura, S. A., & Lohman, B. J. (2007). Dating violence victimization, relationship satisfaction, mental health problems, and acceptability of violence: A comparison of men and women. Journal of Family Violence, 22, 367–381. doi:10.1007/s10896-007-9092-0.
Kurdek, L. A. (1994). Conflict resolution styles in gay, lesbian, heterosexual nonparent, and heterosexual parent couples. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 56, 705–722.
Lawrence, E., Orengo-Aguayo, R., Langer, A., & Brock, R. L. (2012). The impact and consequences of partner abuse on partners. Partner Abuse, 3, 406–428. doi:10.1891/1946-6560.3.4.406.
Luthra, R., & Gidycz, C. A. (2006). Dating violence among college men and women: Evaluation of a theoretical model. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21, 717–731. doi:10.1177/0886260506287312.
Marcus, R. F., & Swett, B. (2002). Violence and intimacy in close relationships. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 17, 570–586. doi:10.1177/0886260502017005006.
Norton, R. (1983). Measuring marital quality: A critical look at the dependent variable. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 45, 141–151.
O’Keefe, M. (1997). Predictors of dating violence among high school students. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 12, 546–568. doi:10.1177/088626097012004005.
O’Keefe, M. (2005). Teen dating violence: A review of risk factors and prevention efforts. National Electronic Network on Violence Against Women. Retrieved from www.vawnet.org/Assoc_Files_VAWnet/AR_TeenDatingViolence.pdf.
O’Keefe, M., & Treister, L. (1998). Victims of dating violence among high school students: Are the predictors different for males and females? Violence Against Women, 4, 195–223. doi:10.1177/1077801298004002005.
O’Leary, K., & Maiuro, R. (Eds.). (2001). Psychological abuse in violence domestic relations. New York: Springer.
O’Leary, K. D., Slep, A. M. S., Avery-Leaf, S., & Cascardi, M. (2008). Gender differences in dating aggression among multiethnic high school students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 42, 473–479. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.09.012.
O’Leary, K. D., & Smith Slep, A. M. (2003). A dyadic longitudinal model of adolescent dating aggression. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 32, 314–327. doi:10.1207/S15374424JCCP3203_01.
Pfeiffer, S. M., & Wong, P. T. P. (1989). Multidimensional jealousy. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 6, 181–196. doi:10.1177/026540758900600203.
Preacher, K. J., Curran, P. J., & Bauer, D. J. (2006). Computational tools for probing interactions in multiple linear regression, multilevel modeling, and latent curve analysis. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 31, 437–448. doi:10.3102/10769986031004437.
Reese-Weber, M., & Johnson, A. I. (2013). Examining dating violence from the relational context. In H. R. Cunningham & W. F. Berry (Eds.), Handbook on the psychology of violence. New York: Nova Publishing.
Riggs, D. S., & O’Leary, K. D. (1989). The development of a model of courtship aggression. In M. A. Pirog-Good & J. E. Stets (Eds.), Violence in dating relationships: Emerging social issues (pp. 53–71). New York: Praeger.
Shorey, R. C., Cornelius, T. L., & Bell, K. M. (2008). A critical review of theoretical frameworks for dating violence: Comparing the dating and marital fields. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 13, 185–194. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2008.03.003.
Straus, M. A. (1979). Measuring intrafamily conflict and violence: The conflict tactics (CT) scales. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 41, 75–88.
Little, T. D., Jorgensen, T. D., Lang, K. M., & Moore, E. W. G. (2014). On the joys of missing data. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 39, 151–162. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jst048.
Vagi, K. J., Rothman, E. F., Latzman, N. E., Tharp, A. T., Hall, D. M., & Breiding, M. J. (2013). Beyond correlates: A review of risk and protective factors for adolescent dating violence perpetration. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42, 633–649.
Whitaker, D. J., Haileyesus, T., Swahn, M., & Saltzman, L. S. (2007). Differences in frequency of violence and reported injury between relationships with reciprocal and nonreciprocal intimate partner violence. American Journal of Public Health, 97, 941–947.
Williams, T. S., Connolly, J., Pepler, D., Craig, W., & Laporte, L. (2008). Risk models of dating aggression across different adolescent relationships: A developmental psychopathology approach. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76, 622–632.
Acknowledgments
Appreciation is expressed to the Project Star staff for their assistance in collecting the data, and to the Project Star participants and their partners, friends and families.
Authors Contributions
CC and WF conceived of the study together. CC performed the statistical analyses, interpretation of the data, and drafted the manuscript. WF also participated in the interpretation of the data and contributed to the writing of the manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Funding
This study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (Grant Number 050106), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Grant Number 049080). Preparation of this manuscript was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (Grant Number 023692).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
Wyndol Furman and Charlene Collibee declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Ethical Approval
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Informed Consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Collibee, C., Furman, W. Chronic and Acute Relational Risk Factors for Dating Aggression in Adolescence and Young Adulthood. J Youth Adolescence 45, 763–776 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0427-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0427-0