Adolescent Violent Victimization and Precocious Union Formation*

Abstract

This article bridges scholarship in criminology and family sociology by extending arguments about “precocious exits” from adolescence to consider early union formation as a salient outcome of violent victimization for youths. Research indicates that early union formation is associated with several negative outcomes; yet the absence of attention to union formation as a consequence of violent victimization is noteworthy. We address this gap by drawing on life course theory and data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to examine the effect of violent victimization (“street” violence) on the timing of first co-residential union formation—differentiating between marriage and cohabitation—in young adulthood. Estimates from Cox proportional hazard models show that adolescent victims of street violence experience higher rates of first union formation, especially marriage, early in the transition to adulthood; however, this effect declines with age, as such unions become more normative. Importantly, the effect of violent victimization on first union timing is robust to controls for nonviolent delinquency, substance abuse, and violent perpetration. We conclude by discussing directions for future research on the association between violent victimization and coresidential unions with an eye toward the implications of such early union formation for desistance.

Race, Adolescent Binge Drinking, and the Context of Neighborhood Exposure

“…In cases where data were available for both parents, we selected the higher combined score. Numerous studies have adopted this approach using Add Health (Haynie, Doogan, and Soller 2014; Haynie, Steffensmeier, and Bell 2007; Kuhl, Warner, and Wilczak 2012; Roettger et al 2011). …”

Social Class, Family Formation, and Delinquency in Early Adulthood

“…In cases where data were available for both parents, we selected the higher combined score. 3 Numerous studies have adopted this approach using Add Health (Haynie, Doogan, and Soller 2014; Haynie, Steffensmeier, and Bell 2007; Kuhl, Warner, and Wilczak 2012; Roettger et al 2011). …”

Intimate Partner Violence Risk Among Victims of Youth Violence: Are Early Unions Bad, Beneficial, or Benign?

“…However, despite the links between YVV and other precocious exits, few scholars have assessed whether (and how) YVV might influence the formation and quality of young adult romantic or intimate unions. One exception is a study by Kuhl, Warner, and Wilczak (), which found that victims of youth violence experienced subsequently higher rates of first coresidential union formation, especially marriage, in the transition to adulthood. That is, victims entered into coresidential unions earlier than their nonvictimized peers; however, the consequences of this earlier union timing among victims of youth violence remain unclear.…”

“…Youth violent victimization (YVV) increases the risk of subsequent victimization (Lauritsen and Davis Quinet, ) and is associated with role transitions that mark a precocious exit from adolescence and premature entry into adulthood (Hagan and Foster, ; Haynie et al., ). Such precocious role exits have largely been considered hallmarks of continued disadvantage (e.g., high‐school dropout, teen pregnancy, and running away); yet a recent study by Kuhl, Warner, and Wilczak () found that YVV also leads to early intimate union formation. Whether such early unions are indicative of continued disadvantage remains unclear.…”