Attitudes toward intimate partner violence in dating relationships

Prevention of intimate partner violence on college campuses includes programs designed to change attitudes, and hence, a scale that assesses such attitudes is needed. Study 1 (N = 859) cross validates the factor structure of the Intimate Partner Violence Attitude Scale-Revised using exploratory factor analysis and presents initial validity data on the scale. In Study 2 (N = 687), the obtained three-factor structure (Abuse, Control, Violence) is tested using confirmatory factor analysis, and it is shown to be concurrently related to assault in romantic relationships and to predict psychological aggression 14 weeks later. The findings are discussed in the context of how understanding and modifying attitudes assessed by the Intimate Partner Violence Attitude Scale-Revised may improve interventions aimed at reducing intimate partner violence.     

Myths and stereotypes of actors involved in domestic violence: Implications for domestic violence culpability attributions

Stereotypes exist about actors involved in domestic violence, particularly women of color. It has been suggested that Black women are more aggressive and accustomed to violence than White women. Moreover, victim resistance, marital status, and perceiver’s sex have all been found to influence perceptions of domestic violence culpability. Since the 1970s, when domestic violence was acknowledged as a social problem, researchers have examined how the lay person’s perceptions of battered women and their batterers are influenced by extralegal factors. Although research on perceptions of domestic violence when White women and men are involved has increased dramatically in recent years, there is a dearth of research on perceptions of such violence when women and men of color are participants. The available findings on the influence of stereotypical notions concerning victims and batterers upon perceptions of domestic violence are examined. This review will provide the available evidence and suggest research areas where information is needed to more fully address the needs of people of color in understanding their own victimization and how actors in the legal system can guard against biased responding.     

Tolerance towards dating violence in Spanish adolescents

The study of intimate partner violence among adolescent and young couples in Spain remains unattended, although such abuses are well known and more frequent than in adulthood. The aim of this study is, on the one hand, to provide epidemiological information on dating relationships, and on the other hand, to identify attitudes towards violence. 2205 women enrolled in schools in diverse provinces of Spain, participated in the study. Average age was near 19 years (SD= 2.25). The Dating Violence Questionnaire (DVQ, in Spanish, CUVINO), a questionnaire that assesses both frequency and distress associated with violent behavior, was used. The DVQ allowed differentiating between groups of women self-labeled as abused and not abused on the basis of the frequency of sustained violence, although the levels of distress in the face of violence were statistically similar in both groups. Implications for future research and prevention programs are discussed.     

Balancing the power in dating relationships

This paper explores the link between perceived egalitarianism in dating relationships and several social-psychological factors that characterize intimate relationships. Data from a sample of nonmarried college students (N=328) suggest that factors such as trust, commitment, other orientation, and dependency are strongly related to perceived egalitarianism, but that comparative resources generally are not significantly related to perceived egalitarianism in dating relationships. It is suggested here that various interpersonal values that operate in intimate relationships may disguise or counteract inequality in intimate heterosexual relationships. These findings suggest the importance of moving beyond a social-exchange perspective in order to understand interpersonal power and of focusing on the role that interpersonal values play in this process.     

How positive processes function in negative relationships: Dispositional gratitude moderates the association between affective need and frequency of dating violence victimization

Evidence indicates that dispositional gratitude may improve romantic relationships by reinforcing positive emotions between partners and by increasing awareness of affective needs, such as receiving emotional support, nurturance, and reassurance. However, little research has investigated the influence of gratitude on relationships characterized by violence. In the present study, participants (N = 421) completed a cross-sectional survey of experiences with dating violence, dispositional gratitude, and affective need. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Among individuals with lower rates of dispositional gratitude, higher levels of affective need were associated with lower frequency of dating violence victimization. However, among individuals with higher rates of dispositional gratitude, there was no evidence to suggest an association between affective need and frequency of victimization. These preliminary findings compel further investigation of how positive processes impact the perceived qualities of negative romantic relationships.     

Adolescents self-report of violence in families and dating relations

The occurrence and forms of violence experienced by adolescents in families and dating relationships were investigated. Subjects were 204 juniors and seniors enrolled in a high school in central Michigan. A primary aim of the study was to examine similarities between adolescents' experiences with dating violence and those reported by college students. Findings indicate that high school students encounter a considerable amount of violence in their families. Results also reveal a remarkable similarity between their dating experiences and those of college students, suggesting that there is a pattern to "relationship violence".     

Assessment of relationship thinking in dating relationships

In a series of five studies a method of assessing relationship thinking and its role in close relationship dynamics was developed. These studies were carried out with college students who responded to questionnaires. Studies 1 and 2 focused on identifying items representing the content and frequency of relationship thinking about participants' present dating relationships. Studies 3 and 4 examined personal characteristics, general relationship schema, and subjective conditions that were related to relationship thinking. Study 5 identified the ability of relationship thinking to predict individuals' perceptions of an interaction with their partners. Results uncovered three types of relationship thinking: partner, positive affect, and network. Relationship thinking was related in expected ways to several personal characteristics, subjective conditions, and general relationship schema. Relationship thinking was predictive of perceptions of distress-maintaining and relationship-enhancing interactions with the dating partners. The findings suggest increased attention to the social cognitive aspects of close relationships.     

Issues in the dating violence research: A review of the literature

Since the 1980s, a growing research literature on violence in dating relationships has emerged, raising considerable concern about the extent of violence occurring in campus dating relationships across the United States. Such research has extended the knowledge base not only about the incidence and types of violence occurring but also about consequences, contributing factors, and gender differences. However, there are a number of important research issues in the literature that require clarification and/or research replication. This review identifies and addresses these issues in three sections. The first section of the review examines methodological issues, which include definition, violence rates, and sampling. The second section addresses gender and violence, in particular the relationship of gender to perpetration, victimization, and attitudes. The final section examines the issue of theory and focuses on the relative support for social learning and feminist theories, the two major theories in the dating violence literature. The review concludes with a series of recommendations for further dating violence research, based on identified gaps in the current literature.     

Measuring dating violence: Conflict or non-conflict related instructions?

Introduction

Dating violence, as well as the broader field of intimate partner violence, has mainly been investigated with two conflict-related questionnaires (Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationship Inventory CADRI, Conflict Tactics Scale CTS). Indeed, the respondents have to report aggressive behaviors that occurred in a context of conflict. Such conflict-related instructions prevent us from investigating violence occurring outside a context of conflict.

Theory and teen dating violence victimization: Considering adolescent development

Teen dating violence is an important public health problem, with implications for the future health and well-being of adolescents. However, most work on teen dating violence has developed separately from literature on normative adolescent romantic relationships and development; understanding teen dating violence within the framework of adolescent psychosocial development may provide new areas for research. Thus, the present paper summarizes five theories of adolescent development that are relevant to the study of teen dating violence victimization, as well as empirical literature that demonstrates support for key theoretical tenets in research examining adolescent romantic relationships. We also present questions for future dating violence study that arise from these key theoretical tenets and past empirical research. Researchers interested in dating violence victimization can use the presented theories to guide new directions in research inquiry, so that findings are situated within the broader field of adolescent development.     

The role of unstable self-esteem in the appraisal of romantic relationships

The relationship appraisals of individuals with stable and unstable forms of self-esteem were examined in two studies using undergraduate participants. Study 1 (N = 166) used indicators of relationship closeness and satisfaction whereas Study 2 (N = 125) examined relationship commitment. Across both studies, men with unstable high self-esteem reported more positive views of their relationships than other individuals. We believe that the fragile nature of their feelings of self-worth may have motivated these men to appraise their relationships positively in an effort to maintain and enhance their own tenuous feelings of self-worth. These findings suggest that men with unstable high self-esteem may use their romantic relationships to regulate how they feel about themselves.     

Prevalence of dating violence and victimization: regional and gender differences

This report examines (1) the prevalence of dating violence victimization from a national sample of rural adolescents and (2) patterns by gender and region. Analyses are based on 20,274 adolescents who reported violence victimization using the Community Drug and Alcohol Survey. The relationship of dating violence with gender and region was assessed with HLM5 using Bernoulli's logistic regression. Approximately 16% of adolescents reported being a victim of dating violence. Females reported higher incidence of victimization than males. Dating violence is more prevalent in the South. While it is important to address the underlying values in society that may contribute to dating violence, it is equally productive to include regional and cultural values.     

The ups and downs of dating: fluctuations in satisfaction in newly formed romantic relationships

This research examined the association between relationship satisfaction and later breakup status, focusing on the temporal changes in satisfaction ratings of individuals in newly formed dating relationships. Growth curve analytic techniques were used in 2 longitudinal studies to create 4 predictors: each participant's initial level of satisfaction, linear trend in satisfaction over time, degree of fluctuation in satisfaction over time, and mean level of satisfaction. Consistent with hypotheses, individuals who exhibited greater fluctuation in their repeated satisfaction ratings were more likely to be in relationships that eventually ended, even after controlling for overall level of satisfaction. Individuals with fluctuating levels of satisfaction also reported relatively lower commitment. The results are discussed in terms of conditions that promote versus undermine relationship stability.     

Gender and sexual standards in dating relationships

This study explored the current status of sexual standards for dating relationships. A sample of 148 male and 148 female U.S. college students read a brief vignette describing a couple, Bob and Cathy, who were involved in either a causal or serious romantic/sexual relationship. Subjects then completed several scales as they thought Bob or Cathy would have answered them. The measures included love attitudes, sexual attitudes, and items on dating and marriage desirability. The study was a 2 (gender of subject) × 2 (gender of target) × 2 (casual vs. serious relationship) factorial design. Perception of a casual or serious relationship affected the love attitudes, sexual attitudes, and dating and marriage desirability attributed to the stimulus person. There were few effects for gender of the stimulus person or gender of the subject. The data suggest that relationship context is extremely important in evaluating sexual activity.     

Attentional bias to violent images in survivors of dating violence

This study investigated the time-course characteristics of attentional bias, such as vigilance and maintenance, towards violent stimuli in dating violence (DV) survivors. DV survivors with PTSD symptoms (DV-PTSD group; n=14), DV survivors without PTSD symptoms (Trauma Control group; n=14), and individuals who were never exposed to dating violence (NDV group; n=15) viewed slides that presented four categories of images (violent, dysphoric, positive, and neutral) per slide, for ten seconds. Our results revealed that the DV-PTSD group spent more time on violent stimuli than did the Trauma Control or NDV groups. The DV survivors, both with and without PTSD symptoms, spent more time on dysphoric stimuli and less time on happy stimuli than did the NDV group. In addition to the effects of PTSD, researchers should also be considering the effects of simple traumatic exposure.     

Attentional bias to violent images in survivors of dating violence

This study investigated the time-course characteristics of attentional bias, such as vigilance and maintenance, towards violent stimuli in dating violence (DV) survivors. DV survivors with PTSD symptoms (DV-PTSD group; n=14), DV survivors without PTSD symptoms (Trauma Control group; n=14), and individuals who were never exposed to dating violence (NDV group; n=15) viewed slides that presented four categories of images (violent, dysphoric, positive, and neutral) per slide, for ten seconds. Our results revealed that the DV-PTSD group spent more time on violent stimuli than did the Trauma Control or NDV groups. The DV survivors, both with and without PTSD symptoms, spent more time on dysphoric stimuli and less time on happy stimuli than did the NDV group. In addition to the effects of PTSD, researchers should also be considering the effects of simple traumatic exposure.     

Sex differences in bases of power in dating relationships

The relationships between relative and absolute contributions of resources and perceiving oneself as being powerful in the dating relationship were examined for 50 dating couples. Unlike past research examining resources as bases of power, a wide range of resources was examined—including more traditional “feminine” resources such as affection and companionship. Also unlike past studies, perceived contributions of resources, rather than the control of resources, were examined. How access to alternative relationships relates to power was also examined in this study. Contrary to research examining control of resources, it was found in this study that contributing more to the relationship tended to be negatively correlated with perceiving oneself as having power. Closer analysis revealed that this was particularly true for traditionally feminine resources. It was also found that the more men perceived themselves as having access to alternatives, the more powerful they perceived themselves. For women, on the other hand, an important basis of power appeared to be the control of the reciprocation of love in the relationship.     

The cyber dating violence inventory. Validation of a new scale for online perpetration and victimization among dating partners

Cyber dating abuse is a new kind of dating violence. Several recent measures assess this phenomenon, but do not focus on a severe aggression that aims to spoil a partner’s relational network (relational cyber abuse). This study developed and validated the Cyber Dating Violence Inventory (CDVI) with 1405 adolescents and young adults (M_age = 18.17; SD_age = 2.39; 65.1% females), an instrument that considers the relational dimension of online dating abuse. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses found two correlated factors (Psychological and Relational) for both perpetration and victimization, showing good reliability. CDVI factors were positively correlated with offline dating violence, showing good criterion validity. This instrument has clinical and educational implications.