“I felt imprisoned”: A qualitative exploration of controlling behaviors in adolescent and emerging adult dating relationships

Abstract

Introduction: First dating relationships can elicit intense emotions that youth may attempt to alleviate by using control tactics that negatively impact the quality of their relationship and their partner's well-being. Despite the breadth of research on dating violence, studies examining control tactics in youth relationships are limited. The current qualitative study documented control tactics from the perspective of youth who are currently in dating relationships. Method: Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 39 participants aged 15–22 years old to gather information regarding conflict management strategies used in their dating relationships. The participants were recruited from high schools and junior colleges across the province of Quebec, Canada. Results: Direct content analysis revealed three categories of control tactics, including, isolation, domination, and emotional manipulation. These findings highlight the importance of further examining control dynamics in adolescent and emerging adult dating relationships to improve dating violence prevention programs. Conclusions: Educational programs can help prevent control from escalating to more direct forms of violence by supporting youth in identifying unhealthy relationship dynamics and providing them with tools to either safely end the relationship or communicate their concerns with their partner.