The Healthy Adolescent Relationship Trajectories Study

The goal of the project is to facilitate the work of advocates and other adults who support youth and young adults, by understanding how positive feelings and behaviors intermingle with dating violence events within romantic relationships.

The objectives include examining the inter-play between emotional connectedness, pro-relationship behaviors, jealousy and dating violence victimization and perpetration.

Specifically, the researchers will: 1) determine the same day and previous day associations between females’ perceptions of emotional connectedness (love, communication, dyadic trust, intimate self-disclosure, commitment and enmeshment), jealousy, and dating violence victimization and perpetration; 2) compare the frequency and patterns of emotional connectedness and jealousy across relationships that initiate, continue and/or escalate dating violence victimization and perpetration; 3) determine the same day and previous day associations between females’ reports of pro-relationship behaviors and dating violence victimization and perpetration; and 4) compare the frequency and patterns of pro-relationship behaviors across relationships that initiate, continue and/or escalate dating violence victimization and perpetration. Participants will be recruited from community venues in Baltimore that have been identified as locations where adolescent and young adult females congregate.

From baseline, participants will complete four months of diaries by responding to daily text-based questions on their Smart Phone about dating violence victimization and perpetration, emotional connectedness and pro-relationship behaviors.

Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law, and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements - 2CFR 200.210(a)(14).

CA/NCF