New study links early abuse to higher risk of dating violence among teens

A recent study published in the Child and Adolescent Trauma Journal explores the complex relationships between adolescent maltreatment, parent-child attachment, dating violence, and risky sexual behavior. Results indicate that early maltreatment significantly predicted later dating violence.

Adolescence is an important developmental period marked by significant changes in the brain, body, emotions, and social relationships. During this time, adolescents begin to explore romantic relationships, which can greatly influence their emotional well-being and future relationship patterns.

High-quality romantic relationships among adolescents are linked to positive self-concept, better social support, and healthier adult romantic relationships. However, adolescents who have experienced maltreatment are more likely to enter violent or unhealthy relationships, engage in risky sexual behaviors, and face mental and physical health problems.

The study followed 179 adolescents aged 12 to 18, recruited primarily from a youth forensic centre or provincial mental health facility in British Columbia. Participants were predominantly white (66%) or Indigenous (23%). Those with intellectual disabilities or serious psychiatric disorders were excluded. The researchers collected data at two points in time: once when participants were about 15 years old, and again five years later, when they were about 20 years old.

First, participants completed questionnaires assessing their experiences of maltreatment (physical abuse, psychological abuse, and witnessing interparental violence) and their attachment to their parents. Maltreatment was measured using the Family History Questionnaire, while parent-child attachment was assessed using the Adolescent Attachment, Anxiety, and Avoidance Inventory.

Five years later, participants reported their involvement in dating violence (using the revised Conflict Tactics Scale) and their sexual risk behaviors (using a telephone interview adapted from the National Health Surveys). Measures of dating violence included physical, psychological, and sexual violence and victimization. Sexual risk behaviors were assessed by examining behaviors such as age of sexual debut, contraceptive use, condom use with casual partners, and experiences of sexual solicitation.

The researchers found that 89% of teens reported emotional abuse, 66% reported physical abuse, and 44% witnessed interparental violence. Teens who experienced abuse were more likely to commit and be victims of dating violence five years later. This is consistent with existing research that suggests early experiences of violence can set a template for future violent relationships.

Regarding parent-child attachment, the study found that higher levels of attachment anxiety were linked to greater perpetration of physical violence in romantic relationships. Attachment anxiety is characterized by a constant need for reassurance and fear of abandonment, which can manifest as aggressive behaviors to maintain closeness and control within relationships.

“These findings add to existing cross-sectional research in community and low-risk samples by demonstrating that maltreatment and attachment anxiety with parents in early adolescence significantly predict [dating violence] reported five years later among high-risk adolescents, a population in which maltreatment and strained parent-child relationships are particularly prevalent,” the researchers wrote.

Interestingly, the study also found that attachment avoidance, which involves a tendency to move away from emotional closeness with parents, was associated with less engagement in risky sexual behaviors. This finding suggests that adolescents who are uncomfortable with intimacy may be more cautious in their sexual relationships, potentially avoiding situations that could lead to risky behaviors. This counterintuitive result highlights the complex ways in which different forms of attachment insecurity can influence adolescent behavior.

But as with any study, there are some caveats to consider. The study focused on a high-risk sample, limiting its generalizability to the broader adolescent population. Future research should include diverse samples to better understand these dynamics in different groups.

“Additional research is needed to identify key risk factors that can be targeted in clinical intervention and prevention programs aimed at promoting healthy relationships and conflict management strategies and raising awareness of safe sex practices among adolescents », added the researchers. “Future research that considers sexual and gender diversity and how adolescents' risk and protective factors and relationship behaviors are conceptualized and measured holds great promise for strengthening our understanding of these experiences and, therefore, mitigate risks for adolescents. »

The study, “Maltreatment and Parent-Child Attachment as Predictors of Dating Violence and Risky Sexual Behavior Among High-Risk Teens,” was authored by Cassia L. McIntyre, Natalie Goulter and Marlene M. Moretti.