The Influence of Peers, Romantic Partners, and Families on Emerging Adults' Sexual Behavior.

Prior research acknowledges that families and peers influence adolescents' sexual behaviors. Far fewer studies have explored whether and how families and peers influence sexual behaviors among emerging adults, especially among those in committed intimate partnerships, while also accounting for dynamics specific to the intimate relationship and respondents' sociodemographic characteristics. Even less is known about whether and how previous romantic relationship experiences might influence emerging adults' future sexual behavior both within and outside the confines of committed intimate partnerships. Drawing on longitudinal data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study, we examined how emerging adults' family backgrounds, peers' sexual attitudes and behaviors, and past and current relationship experiences influenced their engagement in casual sex and sexual non-exclusivity. We found that each of these contexts was significant predictors of emerging adults' casual sex, and that both peers and romantic relationship experiences significantly influenced the likelihood of engaging in sexually non-exclusive behaviors among those in committed dating, cohabiting, and marital partnerships. We discuss potential theoretical mechanisms linking these relationships and provide suggestions for future research.

Inducing jealousy and intimate partner violence among young adults.

Jealousy has been linked to a number of deleterious relationship outcomes; yet few studies have explored the broader ways in which inducing jealousy affects intimate relationships. Using data on 892 young adults from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), we examined correlates and consequences of intentionally inducing jealousy in intimate relationships. Results indicated that factors both unique and internal to the intimate dyad and those external to the intimate relationship were associated with jealousy-inducing behaviors. Dyadic factors included verbal conflict and partners' infidelity and controlling behaviors, and external factors included childhood experiences of parent-child physical aggression. Jealousy induction was associated with experiences of partner violence after accounting for familial background, relationship and sociodemographic factors. We discuss potential mechanisms linking these relationship dynamics and provide suggestions for future research.

Familial Effects on Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Across Adolescence and Young Adulthood.

Research suggests violence in the family-of-origin is a consistent predictor of later intimate partner violence (IPV). However, prior empirical studies have also demonstrated that exposure to violence does not lead deterministically to violent behaviors in young adulthood. Given that family context entails more than simply the presence or absence of abuse, additional aspects of family life warrant examination. One such aspect is the quality of the parent-child relationship. Using five waves of data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (N = 950 respondents, 443 males and 507 females), the present study examined both main and interactive effects of parent-child physical aggression (PCPA) and parent-child relationship quality (PCRQ) in predicting adolescents' and young adults' IPV perpetration. Results indicated that both PCPA and PCRQ were key independent predictors of individuals' IPV perpetration, but did not interact to produce cumulatively different risk. Important interactions between PCPA and gender, and PCRQ and age were also found.

Parents and partners: Moderating and mediating influences on intimate partner violence across adolescence and young adulthood.

Prior work examining intimate partner violence (IPV) among young adults often has emphasized familial characteristics, such as parent-child physical aggression (PCPA), and romantic relationship dynamics, such as jealousy and controlling behaviors, but has not considered these two domains simultaneously. Likewise, research examining how these two domains affect IPV perpetration over time for young adults is still limited. Using five waves of data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (N = 950), the present study examined the influence of parent-child relationship factors and romantic relationship dynamics in both their main and interactive effects on IPV perpetration spanning adolescence through young adulthood. Results from random-effects analyses indicated that both familial and romantic relationship dynamics should be taken into account when predicting IPV perpetration. Importantly, these two domains interacted to produce cumulatively different risk for engaging in violence against a romantic partner. Individuals were more likely to perpetrate IPV when their romantic relationship was characterized by verbal aggression if they reported PCPA experiences.

Understanding the effect of adverse childhood experiences on the risk of engaging in physical violence toward an intimate partner: The influence of relationship, social psychological, and sociodemographic contextual risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase the risk of engaging in intimate partner violence (IPV) in later life. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the association between ACEs and engaging in physical violence toward a romantic partner in emerging adulthood while also accounting for proximal life experiences, including social psychological, intimate relationship, and sociodemographic characteristics. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: This study draws on two waves of data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study, a 19-year population-based longitudinal cohort study of adolescents transitioning to adulthood from Lucas County, Ohio (United States). This investigation includes 878 (399 men and 479 women) emerging adults. METHODS: To evaluate the association between ACEs and IPV perpetration, two waves of survey data were used, collected in 2001 and 2011-2012. RESULTS: ACEs had a cumulative effect on IPV, where each additional ACE increased the odds of engaging in IPV by 51.0 % (p < 0.001). However, current drug use (OR = 1.131, p < 0.05), arguments between partners (OR = 1.517, p < 0.01), partner mistrust (OR = 1.663, p < 0.001), and jealousy and control (OR = 1.412, p < 0.001) were also significant correlates of IPV reports. CONCLUSIONS: ACEs are a significant predictor of IPV perpetration among emerging adults, even when accounting for more proximal risk factors. These findings suggest that individuals working with clients who engage in IPV would do well to address the long-term trauma impacts of early life adversity in addition to more proximal risk factors to reduce the risk of continued violence.

Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration from Adolescence to Young Adulthood: Trajectories and the Role of Familial Factors.

Prior empirical research on intimate partner violence (IPV) in adolescence and young adulthood often focuses on exposure to violence in the family-of-origin using retrospective and cross-sectional data. Yet individuals' families matter beyond simply the presence or absence of abuse, and these effects may vary across time. To address these issues, the present study employed five waves of longitudinal data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS) to investigate the trajectory of IPV from adolescence to young adulthood (N = 950 respondents, 4,750 person-periods) with a specific focus on how familial factors continue to matter across the life course. Results indicated that family-of-origin violence and parent-child relationship quality were independent predictors of IPV. The effect of parent-child relationship quality on IPV also became greater as individuals aged. These results have implications for policies targeted at reducing IPV.