Substance Use and Dating Agression: Whether, When and for Whom They Are Related

描述（由申请人提供）：青少年约会暴力是一个普遍的全国性问题，可能导致毁灭性的后果，包括抑郁、伤害和死亡。尽管越来越多的研究表明，物质使用是一个重要的风险因素，可能会增加成人伴侣暴力的风险，但很少有研究调查了青少年时期物质使用和约会攻击之间的关系，在这个关键的发展时期，这些行为可能会开始，扎根，并延续到成年。此外，现有的许多关于物质使用和伴侣攻击之间联系的研究都存在方法上的问题，这些问题限制了我们对两种行为之间联系的具体性质的理解。例如，大多数关于物质使用与伴侣攻击之间关系的研究，都是使用一种物质使用的单一测量方法或多种物质使用类型的复合测量方法，在一个时间点检查这些行为之间的全球关联。这种方法排除了对不同物质使用行为对伴侣攻击的独特或综合影响的检查。此外，尽管有令人信服的理论理由认为，物质使用和攻击之间的关系可能因个人和环境特征而有很大差异，但很少有研究调查这两种行为之间关系的潜在调节因素。本研究的目的是确定是否，何时以及为谁参与一种特定类型或模式的物质使用与青春期约会攻击风险增加有关。数据将来自一项横跨初中和高中的青少年健康纵向队列研究（n=2636）。随机系数增长模型将用于：(1)检查四种不同类型的物质使用（吸烟、酗酒、大麻和其他硬性药物使用）以及多种物质使用与8至12年级约会攻击水平之间的独特关联，控制共同的风险因素；(2)确定物质使用与约会攻击之间的关联是否以及如何因性别、种族（黑人与白人）和/或不同年级而变化；(3)确定情境暴力和社会控制的测量是否以及如何在多个社会生态水平（家庭、同伴、邻里）上进行评估，缓和物质使用与约会攻击之间的关联。这项提议的研究预计会产生积极的影响，因为它回应了越来越多的人对研究重要性的认识，这些研究不仅建立了物质使用和约会攻击之间的全球联系，还提供了对两种行为之间关系的更细致和全面的看法。研究结果将为制定有针对性的预防策略提供信息，以减少青少年和整个生命周期中与物质有关的约会攻击。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Adolescent dating violence is a prevalent national problem that can result in devastating consequences including, depression, injury and death. Whereas a growing body of research suggests that substance use is an important risk factor that may contribute to increased risk for adult partner violence, very few studies have examined relations between substance use and dating aggression during adolescence, a critical developmental period during which these behaviors may initiate, take root, and carry over into adulthood. Moreover, much of the extant research on the link between substance use and partner aggression suffers from methodological problems that limit our understanding of the specific nature of the association between the two behaviors. For example, most studies of relations between substance use and partner aggression have examined global associations between these behaviors at one point in time using a single measure of one type of substance use or a composite measure of multiple substance use types. This approach precludes the examination of the unique or combined effects of different substance use behaviors in relation to partner aggression. In addition, despite compelling theoretical reasons to expect that relations between substance use and aggression likely vary considerably as a function of both individual and contextual characteristics, very little research has examined potential moderators of relations between the two behaviors. The objective of this study is to determine whether, when and for whom involvement in a particular type or pattern of substance use is associated with increased risk of dating aggression during adolescence. Data will come from a longitudinal cohort study of adolescent health that spanned middle and high school (n=2636). Random coefficients growth models will be used to: (1) examine the unique associations between four different types of substance use (cigarette smoking, heavy alcohol, marijuana and other hard drug use), as well as poly-substance use, and levels of dating aggression across grades 8 through 12, controlling for shared risk factors, (2) determine whether and how associations between substance use and dating aggression vary by sex, race (black vs. white), and/or across grade-levels, and (3) determine whether and how measures of contextual violence and social control, assessed across multiple social-ecological levels (family, peer, neighborhood), moderate associations between substance use and dating aggression. The proposed study is expected to have a positive impact because it responds to growing recognition of the importance of research that goes beyond establishing a global link between substance use and dating aggression to provide a more nuanced and comprehensive view of relations between the two behaviors. Results will inform the development of targeted prevention strategies to reduce substance-related dating aggression during adolescence and across the life-span. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Although numerous studies suggest that substance use contributes to adult partner aggression, little research has examined relations between these behaviors during adolescence, a critical developmental period during which life-long patterns of substance use and dating aggression may emerge. The proposed study will: (1) identify the specific types and combinations of substance use behaviors associated with increased risk for adolescent dating aggression, and (2) determine whether and how individual and contextual risk factors moderate relations between the two behaviors. Findings will inform the development of targeted efforts to prevent substance use-related dating aggression.