family and peer factors related to the development of aggression in adolescent dating relationships...

Family and peer factors related to the Family and peer factors related to the development of aggression in adolescent dating development of aggression in adolescent dating

relationshipsrelationships

John H. Grych & Kara Lindstedt

Marquette University

Thanks to…Thanks to…

Greg Fosco Patrick Gunderson

Nicole Hart Laura Klockow

Sarah Raynor Diana Robbins

Joanne Hepp, Mary Kohl and the students of Alexander Hamilton High School

Research on Aggression in Research on Aggression in Adolescent Romantic RelationshipsAdolescent Romantic Relationships

- Guided primarily by social learning theory;

modeling, reinforcement as mechanisms

- Aggression viewed as a response to conflict

- Focus on family of origin

- Emphasis on individual characteristics as mediators; Eg., beliefs about justifiability of aggression

The Interpersonal Context of Dating The Interpersonal Context of Dating Aggression: Peer Relationships Aggression: Peer Relationships

-Developmentally, may serve as a bridge between family relationships and romantic relationships

- Provide new interpersonal opportunities that can reinforce or counter family experiences

- Limited empirical data supports peer influences on dating aggression

Can positive peer relationships buffer the effect

of family aggression on dating behavior?

The Interpersonal Context of Dating The Interpersonal Context of Dating Aggression: Attachment RelationshipsAggression: Attachment Relationships

- Parent-child interactions shape Internal Working Models of relationships

- Expectations for others’ behavior

- Ability to regulate emotions- Highly anxious individuals may perceive a range

of behaviors as threats to the relationship- Aggression may be an attempt to keep partner

close, avoid dissolution of the relationship (maintain proximity)

Is there continuity in the quality of parent-child, peer, and adolescent romantic relationships?

Do qualities of these relationships predict dating aggression?

Questions Examined in the Present Study Questions Examined in the Present Study

1. Do peer relationships moderate the link between interparental conflict and dating aggression?

2. Does integrating family and peer relationships with cognitive and emotional processes provide better prediction of aggression in teen dating relationships?

Anger regulation

Attitudes re: Aggression.

Interparentalconflict

Datingaggression

Parentalalienation

Parentalcloseness

Anger regulation

Peer alienation

Attitudes re: Aggression.


Peer closeness

RomanticAttach.

Datingaggression

MethodMethod Sample

-284 14-19 year olds (172 girls, 115 boys)

-Ethnicity:

57% Anglo American

20% Latino

12% African American

4% Asian 4% Biracial or

“other 2% Native American

MeasuresMeasures

- Dating aggression. Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory (CADRI; Wolfe, 2001)

- Interparental conflict: Children’s Perception of Interparental

Conflict Scale (CPIC; Grych, Seid, & Fincham, 1992)

- Parent-Child Relationship: Inventory of Parent and Peer

Attachment (IPPA; Armsden & Greenberg, 1987)

- Peer Relationships: Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA)

- Romantic Attachment Style: Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR; Brennan, Shaver, & Clark, 1998). Anxiety and Avoidance scales

1.1. Do positive peer relationships buffer the effectsDo positive peer relationships buffer the effectsof interparental conflict on dating aggression?of interparental conflict on dating aggression?

Boys: NoGirls: Yes Step Variable b R2

1. Interparental Conflict .08 .02

Peer Closeness -.12

2. Interaction of Interparental Conflict & Peer Closeness -.18* .05*

Plot of Conflict-Closeness Interaction (Girls)Plot of Conflict-Closeness Interaction (Girls)

Interparental Conflict

DATING

AGG

Poor peer rels r = .28

Close peer rels r = -.06

2.2. Does integrating family and peer relationships withDoes integrating family and peer relationships withcognitive and emotional processes better predict cognitive and emotional processes better predict aggression in teen dating relationships ?aggression in teen dating relationships ?

Dating Aggression Girls Boys

Individual factors Attitudes re: Aggression .25* .29* Anger regulation .23* .50*Family factors Interparental Conflict .07 .00 Closeness to Mother -.16 -.14 Closeness to Father -.05 -.05 Alienation from Mother .21* .19 Alienation from Father .08 .09Peer factors Closeness to Peers -.06 -.05 Alienation from Peers .12 .23* Anxious Rom. Attach. .20* .27* Avoidant Rom. Attach. -.04 .24*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- +p < .07 * p < .05

Dating Aggression Girls Boys

Individual factors Attitudes re: Aggression .25* .29* Anger regulation .23* .50*Family factors Interparental Conflict .07 .00 Closeness to Mother -.16 -.14 Closeness to Father -.05 -.05 Alienation from Mother .21* .19+ Alienation from Father .08 .09Peer factors Closeness to Peers -.06 -.05 Alienation from Peers .12 .23* Anxious Rom. Attach. .20* .27* Avoidant Rom. Attach. -.04 .24*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- + p < .07 * p < .05

Mediational model for boysMediational model for boys


Alienation From Mother

Closeness To Mother

AngerRegulation

AggressiveAttitudes

AlienationFrom Peers

ClosenessTo Peers

AnxiousRom. Attach.

Dating Aggression

.79**

.90**

2.85*

+p < .08 *p < .05 **p < .01

.12*

.00

.04

.22*

.42**

.34**

.07

.15

.05+

Notes: path coefficients are unstandardized

Mediational model for girlsMediational model for girls



Closeness To Mother

AngerRegulation

AggressiveAttitudes


ClosenessTo Peers

AnxiousRom. Attach.

Dating Aggression

.57**

.31*

1.67+

+p < .08 *p < .05 **p < .01

.15**

.02**

.00

.03

.07

.26**

.01

.07

.02


Predicting Anxious Romantic AttachmentPredicting Anxious Romantic Attachment


Closeness To Mother

AnxiousRom. Attach


ClosenessTo Peers

AngerRegulation

Predicting Anxious Romantic AttachmentPredicting Anxious Romantic Attachment in Boys in Boys


Closeness To Mother

AnxiousRom. Attach.


ClosenessTo Peers

Anger Regulation

+p < .08 *p < .05 **p < .01

.05+.15+

.02

.34**

.20

.05*

.08**

.01

.40*

.03+


Predicting Anxious Romantic AttachmentPredicting Anxious Romantic Attachment in Girls in Girls


Closeness To Mother

AnxiousRom. Attach.


ClosenessTo Peers

Anger Regulation

+p < .08 *p < .05 **p < .01

.02.07

.05

.26**

.01

.04*

.13**

.02**

.53**

.11+


ConclusionsConclusions

1. Good peer relationships can buffer the adverse effects of interparental conflict on dating aggression, at least for girls

2. Integrating interpersonal relationships and individual characteristics provides better prediction of adolescent dating aggression

3. Alienation shows continuity from parent-child to peer relationships and predicts orientation toward romantic relationships; closeness/support may be more relationship-specific.

family and peer factors related to the development of aggression in adolescent dating relationships...

Documents

family relationships

positive peer relationships

measures dating aggression

teen dating relationships

relationship aggression

mechanisms aggression

development of aggression

peer factors closeness