The Relationship between Adolescent Alcohol Use and Dating Violence Perpetration

描述（由申请人提供）：许多研究发现，酒精使用和成人亲密伴侣暴力之间存在强烈和一致的联系，包括更严重和慢性的伴侣暴力行为模式。然而，没有发表的研究明确试图研究青少年时期饮酒和约会暴力之间的关系。拟议的研究将探讨青少年酒精滥用和身体约会暴力犯罪之间的关系，使用四波的数据，从纵向队列研究的青少年（n=2620），在北卡罗来纳州的两个非大都市县进行。强大的分析方法，被称为随机系数增长模型，将被用来模拟酒精滥用和约会暴力之间的关系随着时间的推移。这项研究的具体目标是：i）检查13至18岁青少年酒精滥用轨迹和身体约会暴力行为轨迹之间的关系，ii）确定是否暴露于同龄人，家庭和社区暴力缓和了青少年酗酒与每个年龄段的身体约会暴力之间的关联，以及iii）评估青少年酒精滥用在停止身体约会暴力犯罪发展过程中的作用。在初中和高中阶段，约会暴力和酗酒都很普遍，可能对青少年的健康和发展造成严重的负面影响。此外，研究表明，在此期间建立的关系冲突模式可能会延续到成年。更好地了解青春期酗酒和约会暴力之间的纵向关系也可以让我们了解这些行为在成年后是如何以及为什么相关的，从而有助于整个生命周期的预防工作。例如，如果酒精滥用增加了青少年后期约会暴力犯罪的风险和/或阻碍了犯罪的停止，那么旨在防止或减少青少年酒精滥用的预防计划和政策也可能有助于减少青少年和青年的约会暴力犯罪。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Numerous studies have found a strong and consistent link between alcohol use and adult intimate partner violence, including more severe and chronic patterns of partner violence perpetration. However, no published studies have explicitly sought to examine the relationship between alcohol use and dating violence during adolescence. The proposed study will examine the relationship between adolescent alcohol misuse and physical dating violence perpetration using four waves of data from a longitudinal cohort study of adolescents (n=2620) that was conducted in two non-metropolitan counties in North Carolina. Powerful analytic methods, known as random coefficients growth models, will be used to model the relationship between alcohol misuse and dating violence perpetration over time. The specific aims of the study are to: i) Examine the relationship between trajectories of adolescent alcohol misuse and trajectories of physical dating violence perpetration across ages 13 to 18 years, ii) Determine whether exposure to peer, family and community violence moderate the association between adolescent alcohol misuse and physical dating violence perpetration at each age and iii) Assess the role of adolescent alcohol misuse in the developmental process of desistance from physical dating violence perpetration. Both dating violence perpetration and alcohol use are prevalent during the middle and high school years and can lead to serious negative consequences for adolescent health and development. Moreover research suggests that patterns of relationship conflict that are established during this period are likely to carryover into adulthood. A better understanding of the longitudinal relationship between alcohol misuse and dating violence perpetration during adolescence may also inform our understanding of how and why these behaviors are associated in adulthood, thereby contributing to prevention efforts across the lifespan. For example, if alcohol misuse increases risk of dating violence perpetration and/or hinders desistance in perpetration during late adolescence, then prevention programs and policies that seek to prevent or reduce alcohol misuse among adolescents may also contribute towards the reduction of dating violence perpetration in adolescence and young adulthood.