Exploring Conflict Resolution and Psychological Abuse Across Romantic Relationships

Although strengthening skills is recommended to improve the effectiveness of programs to prevent dating violence, little research has analyzed how conflict resolution strategies relate to victimization/perpetration trajectories. This study explores retrospectively self-reported conflict resolution strategies (positive problem-solving, engagement, and withdrawal) across 2 romantic relationships, paying special attention to possible changes. Participants were 309 college students who had been involved in 1, 2, or no abusive relationships. Based on these experiences, they were first classified into 4 groups according to their psychological victimization (non-victimized, pre-victimized, newly-victimized, and re-victimized) in each of their 2 relationships. Subsequently, they were also classified into 4 different groups according to their perpetration (non-perpetrators, pre-perpetrators, new perpetrators, and re-perpetrators). Changes in conflict resolution strategies were self-reported by both the victims and the perpetrators with a single abusive relationship, whereas persistence was detected in those involved in either 2 abusive relationships (re-victimized and re-perpetrators) or none at all. The results can help prevent dating violence across relationships and its negative consequences for health.