Pathways to violence in teen dating relationships.

Abstract

From a developmental psychopathology viewpoint, violence in adolescent dating relationships may be partially understood in terms of relationship models based on early experiences of child maltreatment. Adolescence marks the transitional period where the interpersonal goal is to establish affective ties independent of the family; therefore, it is likely that the cumulative effects of exposure to and experience of violence as a child can be observed during the dating stage. The cycle of violence hypothesis gets "put to the test" as young adults move away from their family system and milieu. After developing some of the theoretical structure supporting this connection, we discuss some of our ongoing research involving both community (high school students) and "identified" samples (youth receiving protective services) in which childhood experiences of maltreatment are strongly associated with problems in current relationships. Topics addressed include: forming intimate relationships during adolescence (social dating and relationship expectations, the emergence of abusive relationship patterns), pathways to relationship violence: a developmental psychopathology perspective (the significance of past maltreatment experiences, interpersonal adjustment, personal resources, relationship conflict and abuse), and prevention implications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved)