Associations between substance use and teen dating violence perpetration in adolescents

This study uses a short-term longitudinal design to examine the association between substance use and teen dating violence perpetration over time. This research also examines conflict resolution style to assess for any buffering effects that could occur. The models are analyzed across gender to determine if any differences exist between boys and girls in the sample. These relations are examined using longitudinal data collected at two time points over a period of a year in a diverse (51.2% female, 68.7% Nonwhite, 31.3% White) high school sample of 1,621 adolescents. Multiple regression analyses did yield a significant association between substance use (i.e., alcohol use, binge alcohol use, and addictive drug use reported in the last 30 days) and physical/threatening, verbal, and relational teen dating violence perpetration for both males and females. A Wald chi-square test is posited for these associations to determine if the effects of the various substance use variables on each form of TDV perpetration are significantly different for males and females; data is then examined using multiple group analysis varied by gender. Results show that the effects of alcohol and binge drinking on physical/threatening TDV perpetration are significantly higher for males than females, whereas the effects of addictive substance use on physical/threatening TDV perpetration are significantly higher for females than males. Results also show that the effects of alcohol, binge drinking, and addictive substance use on verbal TDV perpetration are significantly higher for females than for males. Problem solving interaction style was added into the model to test any buffering effects on the relationship between substance use and TDV perpetration. Results indicate that problem solving conflict resolution style did not significantly change the association found between reported substance use and the amount of TDV perpetration reported. The implications of these findings and potential future directions for prevention are discussed