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

1. Family and peer factors related to the development of aggression in adolescent dating relationships John H. Grych & Kara Lindstedt Marquette University

2. 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

3. Research on Aggression in Adolescent 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

4. The Interpersonal Context of Dating 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

5. Can positive peer relationships buffer the effect of family aggression on dating behavior?

6. The Interpersonal Context of Dating Aggression: 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)

7. Is there continuity in the quality of parent-child, peer, and adolescent romantic relationships? Do qualities of these relationships predict dating aggression?

8. Questions Examined in the Present Study • 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?

9. Attitudes re: Aggression. Interparental conflict Anger regulation Dating aggression

10. Attitudes re: Aggression. Interparental conflict Anger regulation Dating aggression Parental alienation Peer alienation Romantic Attach. Parental closeness Peer closeness

11. Method 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

12. Measures - 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

13. Do positive peer relationships buffer the effectsof interparental conflict on dating aggression? Boys: No Girls: Yes Step Variable b R2 1. Interparental Conflict .08 .02 Peer Closeness -.12 2. Interaction of Interparental Conflict & Peer Closeness -.18* .05*

14. Plot of Conflict-Closeness Interaction (Girls) D A T I N G A G G Poor peer rels r = .28 Close peer rels r = -.06 Interparental Conflict

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

16. Dating Aggression GirlsBoys 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 .09 Peer 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

17. Dating Aggression GirlsBoys 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 .09 Peer 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

18. Dating Aggression GirlsBoys 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 .09 Peer 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

19. Dating Aggression GirlsBoys 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 .09 Peer 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

20. Mediational model for boys .04 Aggressive Attitudes Interparental conflict .79** .22* Anger Regulation .90** .42** Alienation From Mother Dating Aggression .34** Alienation From Peers 2.85* .12* .07 Anxious Rom. Attach. .05+ Closeness To Mother .00 .15 Closeness To Peers Notes: path coefficients are unstandardized +p < .08 *p < .05 **p < .01

21. Mediational model for girls .00 Aggressive Attitudes Interparental conflict .57** .03 Anger Regulation .31* .07 Alienation From Mother Dating Aggression .26** Alienation From Peers 1.67+ .15** .01 Anxious Rom. Attach. .02 Closeness To Mother .02** .07 Closeness To Peers Notes: path coefficients are unstandardized +p < .08 *p < .05 **p < .01

22. Predicting Anxious Romantic Attachment Anxious Rom. Attach Alienation From Mother Alienation From Peers Closeness To Peers Closeness To Mother Anger Regulation

23. Predicting Anxious Romantic Attachment in Boys Anxious Rom. Attach. .05* Alienation From Mother .34** .08** Alienation From Peers .20 .01 .40* Closeness To Peers .05+ .15+ .03+ Closeness To Mother Anger Regulation .02 Notes: path coefficients are unstandardized +p < .08 *p < .05 **p < .01

24. Predicting Anxious Romantic Attachment in Girls Anxious Rom. Attach. .04* Alienation From Mother .26** .13** Alienation From Peers .01 .02** .53** Closeness To Peers .02 .11+ .07 Closeness To Mother Anger Regulation .05 Notes: path coefficients are unstandardized +p < .08 *p < .05 **p < .01

25. Conclusions 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.