Abstract

In adult relationships, aggressive or physically abusive partners often attempt to limit their partners interactions with friends and family (Walker 1987; Tolman, 1989). This study investigated whether similar experiences may have occurred among females in high school. Retrospective data were gathered from 102 female adolescents (M age = 18.2), and 94 had a history of at least one romantic partner and were included in this study. Overall, 39 females (41%) had a past or current physically aggressive partner.

Females who had experienced physical aggression by romantic partners started high school spending more time with romantic partners. Yet, linear rates of change in time spent with romantic partners from grade 9 to grade 12 did not differ between groups, and there were no significant differences in patterns of time spent with best female friends, with family or alone. Therefore, it appeared that having a physically aggressive partner did not limit involvement with other social network members among females in high school. Yet, further exploration suggested different levels of involvement with social network members within certain groups of females.

Introduction and Objectives

The initiation of romantic relationships is a normative developmental task of adolescence (Kirchler, Palmonari, & Pombeni, 1993). Yet, research suggests that the emergence of these relationships can result in negative and distressing experiences for some adolescents, especially females (Pirog-Good & Stets, 1989; Thompson, 1994). For example, many relationships include physically or psychologically aggressive behaviors (Sugarman & Hotaling, 1989).

Adolescent females usually belong to dense social networks when they initially become involved with romantic partners. Hence, aggression in adolescent romantic relationships potentially changes relationships with other network members. In fact, in adult relationships aggressive or physically abusive partners often attempt to limit their partners interactions with friends and family (Walker 1987; Tolman, 1989).

The goal of this study was to investigate whether involvement with social network members (family and best female friends) and time spent alone differed when comparing females who had and had not

experienced physical aggression in romantic relationships.

Participants and Data Collection Procedures

Participants were 102 white females who had recently

graduated from high school. The 94 females who had a history of at least one romantic relationship were included in this study.

Seniors were recruited the last month of school at a large urban high school. The school population was socioeconomically and racially diverse. Because of evidence that individuals of different racial/ethnic backgrounds may have systematically different experiences of the transition to romantic relationships (for example, see Phinney, et al., 1990) this study was limited to white females. Overall, 37 females from this urban high school were interviewed in the summer after their senior year.

The remaining 55 participants were recruited at a large urban university. Recruitment involved advertising on campus for females (19 years of age or less) that were interested in participating in a study of high school relationships. These interviews were completed at the university or at the interviewees' homes. The portion of the interview and survey described here took between 20 and 40 minutes to complete.

Measurement

Levels of involvement with best female friends, romantic partners, and family during high school were gathered by asking participants a series of retrospective questions. Similar data were collected on the amount of time females spent alone.

After focusing participants on eight periods during high school (in the fall and spring of grade 9, 10, 11, and 12), they were asked to estimate the amount of time that was spent outside of work and school (leisure time or “free-time”) with their best female friends, with their romantic partners, with their families, and alone. Participants were given a visual-analog scale ranging from 0 to 100 and asked to select values to indicate the amount of time they selected.

Normative and significant events (such as the start of each new school year, sports of the season, prom, activities, etc.) and general conversation about each time during high school were used to help focus participants prior to making estimates.

The Conflicts Tactics Scale (Straus, Hamby, Boney-McCoy, & Sugarman, 1996) was used to collect information on females’ histories of experiences with physical aggression in romantic relationships. Data were collected on participants’ histories of jealousy and isolation in romantic relationships with the Psychological Maltreatment Inventory (Kasian & Painter, 1992).

ResultsTrajectories of Involvement with Social Network Members

•39 females (41%) had experienced at least one act of physical aggression.

•Random effects mixed modeling (Littell et al., 1996) was used to compare trajectories of involvement with social network members between females who had and had not experienced physical aggression in romantic relationships.

•Females who had experienced physical aggression spent more time with romantic partners than with best female friends earlier in high school. Further, females who had experienced physical aggression by romantic partners started high school spending more time with romantic partners (p < .05; Figure 1).

•Yet, linear rates of change in time spent with romantic partners from grade 9 to grade 12 did not differ between groups. There were no significant differences in patterns of time spent with best female friends, time spent with family, and time spent alone (Figure 2).

Results3 Levels of Physical Aggression

To explore further, females were grouped according to the level of physical aggression experienced in past and current romantic relationships.

•The largest group contained the 67 females in the first three quartiles who had a total score of 0-2.9 on the Conflicts Tactics Scale. The second group contained 18 females (15%) who had a score between 3 and 8.9. The third group contained the 9 females who had a score of 9 or more.

•Females who had experienced the highest amounts of physical aggression increased their involvement with partners rapidly while also rapidly decreasing the amount of time they spent with best female friends. Females who had experienced moderate amounts of physical aggression also increased time with partners and decreased time with best female friends (Figure 3)..

•Females who had experienced the highest amounts of physical aggression spent the least amount of time with family throughout high school. They also spent the least amount of time alone (Figure 4).

References

Kasian, M., & Painter, S.L. (1992). Frequency and severity of psychological abuse in a dating population. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 7, 350‑364.

Kirchler, E., Palmonari, A., & Pombeni, M.L. (1993). Developmental tasks and adolescents' relationships with their peers and their family. In S. Jackson, & H. Rodriguez-Tomé (Eds.), Adolescence and its social worlds. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Littell, R.C., Milliken, G.A., Stroup, W.W., & Wolfinger, R.D. (1996). SAS system for mixed models. Cary, NC: SAS Institute, Inc.

Phinney, V.G., Jensen, L.C., Olsen, J.A., & Cundick, B. (1990). The relationship between early development and psychosexual behaviors in adolescent females. Adolescence, 25, 321-332.

Pirog-Good, M.A., & Stets, J.E. (Eds.), Violence in dating relationships: Emerging social issues. New York: Praeger.

Straus, M.A., Hamby, S.L., Boney-McCoy, S., & Sugarman, D.B. (1996). The Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2): Development and preliminary psychometric data. Journal of Family Issues, 17, 283-316.

Sugarman, D.B., & Hotaling, G.T. (1989). Dating violence: Prevalence, context, and risk markers. In M.A. Pirog-Good & J.E. Stets (Eds.), Violence in dating relationships: Emerging social issues. New York: Praeger.

Thompson, S. (1994). Changing lives, changing genres: Teenage girls' narratives about sex and romance, 1978‑1986. In A.S. Rossi (Ed.), Sexuality across the life course. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Tolman, R.M. (1989). The development of a measure of psychological maltreatment of women by their male partners. Violence and Victims, 4, 159‑177.

Walker, L.E. (1987). Assessment and intervention with battered women. In P.A. Keller & S.R. Heyman (Eds.), Innovations in clinical practice: A sourcebook, Vol. 6. Sarasota, FL: Professional Research Exchange.

Figure 1. Average Trajectories of Time Spent with Romantic Partners during High

School for Females Who Did or Did Not Have a History of Experiencing Physical

Aggression in Romantic Relationships

aEstimated by random effects mixed modeling. Intercepts differed, p < .05. Slopes were not significantly different.

No experience of physical aggression in romantic relationships (n = 55)

At least one experience of physical aggression by romantic partners (n = 39)

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Slopea = 3.5

Slopea = 2.6

Intercepta = 22.5

Intercepta = 12.9

Figure 2. Average Trajectories of Time Spent with Best Female Friends, Family and

Alone during High School for Females Who Did or Did Not Have a History of

Experiencing Physical Aggression in Romantic Relationships

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No experience of physical aggression in romantic relationships (n = 55)At least one experience of physical aggression by romantic partners (n = 39)

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Figure 3. Average Trajectories of Time Spent with Romantic Partners and Best

Female Friends during High School for Females with Cumulative Histories of Either

Low, Moderate or High Amounts of Physical Aggression by Romantic Partners

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Figure 4. Trajectories of Time Spent with Family and Time Spent Alone during High

School for Females with Cumulative Histories of Either Low, Moderate or High

Amounts of Physical Aggression by Romantic Partners

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