The Relationship between Adolescent Alcohol Use and Dating Violence Perpetration

描述（由申请人提供）：许多研究发现，酒精使用与成人亲密伴侣暴力之间存在密切和一致的联系，包括更严重和长期的伴侣暴力行为模式。然而，没有发表的研究明确地试图检查青春期酒精使用和约会暴力之间的关系。这项拟议的研究将使用来自北卡罗来纳州两个非大都市县的青少年纵向队列研究（n=2620）的四波数据来检查青少年酒精滥用与身体约会暴力行为之间的关系。强大的分析方法，被称为随机系数增长模型，将用于模拟酒精滥用和约会暴力犯罪之间的关系。这项研究的具体目的是：i)研究13至18岁青少年酒精滥用轨迹与身体约会暴力行为轨迹之间的关系；ii)确定接触同伴、家庭和社区暴力是否会缓和每个年龄段青少年酒精滥用与身体约会暴力行为之间的关联；iii)评估青少年酒精滥用在抵制身体约会暴力行为的发展过程中的作用。约会暴力行为和酗酒在初中和高中时期都很普遍，可能对青少年的健康和发展造成严重的负面后果。此外，研究表明，在这一时期建立的关系冲突模式很可能会延续到成年期。更好地了解青少年时期酒精滥用和约会暴力行为之间的纵向关系，也可以帮助我们理解这些行为在成年期是如何以及为什么相关联的，从而有助于在整个生命周期中进行预防工作。例如，如果酒精滥用增加了约会暴力行为的风险和/或阻碍了青春期后期的行为克制，那么旨在预防或减少青少年酒精滥用的预防方案和政策也可能有助于减少青春期和青年期的约会暴力行为。

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.