Romantic relationship trajectories among young African American men: The influence of adverse life contexts

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.

Romantic relationships and sexual minority health: A review and description of the Dyadic Health Model

A large body of literature has documented the health promotive effects of healthy committed relationships on the health and wellbeing of heterosexual people in different-sex relationships, including observational and longitudinal studies, couple-based intervention development and evaluation efforts, and articulation of theoretical frameworks. A much smaller but growing field of research has observed that same-sex relationships have similar effects on health outcomes but that these couples face unique stressors that may impact relationship functioning and health. Further, extant theoretical frameworks do not sufficiently address the multiple pathways by which psychosocial vulnerabilities and stressors impact same-sex relationship functioning, engagement in health-related risk behaviors, and the mental and physical health of sexual minorities in relationships. The purpose of this manuscript is to: a) review the existing literature on relationship functioning and health among sexual minorities, including both observational and intervention studies; and b) present an integrated model of relationship functioning and health for same-sex couples that can be used as a basis for further studies on sexual minority dyads, as well as the development of novel couple-based interventions to optimize the health promoting effects of relationships.