The moderating effect of perceived positive peer norms on the relationship between age, gender, acceptance of violence, and perpetration of teen relationship violence

Title from first page of PDF file (viewed November 19, 2010)Includes bibliographical references (p. 20-24)Teen Relationship Violence (TRV) has serious and potentially long lasting effects. The effects of perpetration have been linked with many negative physical and mental health problems, such as risky sexual behavior, drug and alcohol use, unhealthy weight concerns, and even suicide. Between 20% - 50% of adolescents experience some form of psychological, physical, or sexual abuse in their current or previous relationships. Moreover, perpetration within teen relationships continues into the early years of marriage for approximately 50% of newly married couples. Several studies have shown that acceptability of violence is a contributing factor to perpetration of TRV, particularly in males. There may be other gender differences in acceptability of violence as well; dating violence perpetrated by women is considered more acceptable than when perpetrated by men. Peer influences are also central during adolescence in shaping attitudes and behaviors of youth. Having friends who perpetrate teen dating violence is associated with one's own perpetration. Given the central importance of peer influences during adolescence, this study examines age and gender differences in peer influences on dating violence and acceptance of violence. Although most studies have focused on the negative influences of peers, this study will examine the effect of positive peer influences on the relationship between acceptance of violence and perpetration of teen relationship violence. It is hypothesized that positive peer influences will reduce the strength of the relationship between acceptance of violence and perpetration of teen relationship violence. Moreover, because women are generally more responsive to social norms than men, this moderating effect is expected to be more evident for women than for men. These hypotheses were examined in a sample of 604 local middle, high school and college students who have had at least one dating experience in the past year and who have completed a survey assessing attitudes towards violence, peer norms, and perpetration of violence within their present dating relationships. A hierarchal multiple regression was conducted with perpetration of TRV as the criterion variable, and age, gender, acceptance of violence, perceived positive peer norms, as well as all possible interaction terms as predictors. When the four-way interaction was entered, a significant amount of overall variance in TRV perpetration was found, F (15, 475) = 7.197, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.159. The four-way interaction term accounted for a significant increase in explained variance, F(1,475) = 7.085, p = 0.008, [delta]R?? = 0.012. To explore this interaction further, the sample was separated by gender and hierarchal multiple regressions were conducted. No interaction terms accounted for a significant increase in explained variance in TRV perpetration for males. However, there were significant main effects for perceived positive peer norms, age, and acceptance of violence, F(3,178) = 15.435, p < 0.001, R?? = 0.206. When the three-way interaction was entered, a significant amount of overall variance in TRV perpetration was found for females, F(7,301) = 7.768, p < 0.001, R?? = 0.153. The interaction term did account for a significant increase in explained variance, F(1,301) = 7.194, p = 0.008, [delta]R?? = 0.029. Exploration of the male main effects and female 3-way interaction, as well as implications for teen relationship violence prevention will be discussed