A Prospective Study of Adolescents' Sexual Partnerships on Emerging Adults' Relationship Satisfaction and Intimate Partner Aggression

• NCJ Number: 252313
• Journal: Emerging Adulthood Volume: 4 Issue: 6 Dated: February 2016 Pages: 403-416
• Author(s): Monica A. Longmore; Wendy D. Manning; Jennifer E. Copp; Peggy C. Giordano
• Date Published: February 2016
• Length: 14 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2009-IJ-CX-0503; 2010-MU-MU-0031
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Award: Life Course, Relationship, and Situational Contexts of Teen Dating Violence; Life Course, Relationship, and Situational Contexts of Teen Dating Violence

Annotation

This study examined whether the influence of adolescents' sexual partnerships, both dating and casual, carried over to affect emerging adult relationship satisfaction and experiences of intimate partner aggression.

Abstract

Analyses of longitudinal data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (n = 294) showed that net of control variables (delinquency, depression, family violence, relational and sociodemographic characteristics), adolescents' number of dating, but not casual, sexual partners led to greater odds of intimate partner aggression during emerging adulthood. Further, relationship churning (breaking-up and getting back together) and sexual non-exclusivity during emerging adulthood mediated the influence of adolescents' number of dating sexual partnerships on intimate partner aggression. The positive effect of dating sexual partnerships on intimate partner aggression was stronger for women compared with men. These findings confirm the long reach of adolescent experiences into emerging adulthood. (Publisher abstract modified)