A Dyadic Longitudinal Model of Adolescent Dating Aggression

Abstract

The stability of and dyadic influences on physical aggression in adolescents' dating relationships have implications for understanding the etiology of intimate partner violence and, in turn, prevention efforts. We studied the stability of aggression and tested a longitudinal dyadic model of psychological and physical aggression in samples of adolescent males and females who remained in relationships for 3 months. Physical aggression against dating partners was remarkably stable. Verbal aggression, jealous behavior, and controlling behavior formed a latent construct psychological aggression. Psychological aggression predicted physical aggression both concurrently and longitudinally. Dyadic relations were evident for both psychological and physical aggression, and these dyadic relations highlight the need for prevention and intervention incorporating dyadic issues with young dating couples.

Reciprocal involvement in adolescent dating aggression: An Italian–Spanish study

“…Dating aggression was assessed using four scales measuring psychological and physical aggression perpetrated and received. Although physical aggression is often reported as the main index of dating aggression, the relevance of considering other verbal and psychological acts was underlined by several authors on account of their interrelated nature (Capaldi & Crosby, 1997;O'Leary & Slep, 2003). Following the definition by Straus (1979) and Capaldi and Crosby (1997), we decided to include verbal aggression, offence and threatening in the category of psychological aggression.…”

“…Especially in adolescence both male and female partners were frequently found to be involved as perpetrators and victims, suggesting a reciprocal involvement in dating aggression (Capaldi & Crosby, 1997;Cascardi & Vivian, 1995;Gray & Foshee, 1997;Johnson, 1995;O'Leary & Slep, 2003). Studies conducted on adolescents in the USA reported a frequency range of 53% to 72% of mutually aggressive dating relationships (Gray & Foshee, 1997;Henton, Cate, Koval, Lloyd, & Christopher, 1983).…”

Typological approaches to violence in couples: A critique and alternative conceptual approach

“…For a sample of high school students who remained in relationships for 3 months, O'Leary and Slep (2003) found that physical aggression against dating partners showed significant stability over time for both boys and girls, and in a path model including both partners' behaviors, individual physical aggression was predictive of partner's physical aggression 3 months later. Pan, Neidig, and O'Leary (1994) also reported that relationship discord was the most significant predictor of physical aggression toward a partner.…”

“…O'Leary and colleagues (O'Leary & Slep, 2003;Riggs & O'Leary, 1989) also present models of courtship or dating aggression where they examine the role of partner factors, particularly conflict and aggression. For a sample of high school students who remained in relationships for 3 months, O'Leary and Slep (2003) found that physical aggression against dating partners showed significant stability over time for both boys and girls, and in a path model including both partners' behaviors, individual physical aggression was predictive of partner's physical aggression 3 months later.…”

Direccionalidad y expresión de la violencia en las relaciones de noviazgo de los jóvenes = Directionality and violence expression in dating relationships of young people

“…En primer lugar, se ha documentado en diversas investigaciones (O'-Leary y Slep, 2003;Quigley y Leonard, 1996) que la VRN es un importante factor de predicción de agresiones mucho más graves cuando se instaura la convivencia. Y en segundo lugar, la VRN presenta frecuentemente un carácter recíproco o bidireccional; esto es, que ambos miembros de la pareja ejercen y sufren conductas abusivas, fundamentalmente de tipo físico y psicológico (Lewis y Fremouw, 2001;Makepeace, 1981;Malik, Sorenson y Aneshensel, 1997;O'Leary y Slep, 2003;Pedersen y Thomas, 1992;Swart, Seedat, Stevens y Ricardo, 2002). En este último aspecto, se han encontrado tasas similares de violencia recíproca (física y psicológica/verbal) en hombres y en mujeres (Billingham y Sack, 1986;Bookwala, Frieze, Smith y Ryan, 1992;Renner y Withney, 2010;Straus y Gelles, 1990).…”