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Physical Dating Aggression Growth During Adolescence

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Abstract

The development of Physical Dating Aggression from the age of 16 to 18 years was investigated in relation to time-invariant predictors (gender, parental education, family composition, number of partners) and to time-varying effects of delinquent behavior and perception of victimization by the partner. The sample consisted of 181 adolescents with a current or past dating relationship. Results showed an average trend of decrease from 16 to 18 years with significant inter-individual variability in intra-individual change across time, suggesting that different trajectories of Physical Dating Aggression among the population can be found. Inter-individual variability can be explained by background variables representing a distal risk on Dating Aggression at 16 years (mother’s education, precocious dating experience), and by time-varying effect of delinquent behavior and perception of partner perpetration. These latter variables can act as snares (Moffitt 1993), representing mechanisms responsible for prolonging the otherwise normative pattern of decrease of Physical Dating Aggression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi, 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135, Florence, Italy

    Annalaura Nocentini & Ersilia Menesini

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Rome, via dei Marsi, 78, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Concetta Pastorelli

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  1. Annalaura Nocentini
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  2. Ersilia Menesini
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Correspondence to Annalaura Nocentini.

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Nocentini, A., Menesini, E. & Pastorelli, C. Physical Dating Aggression Growth During Adolescence. J Abnorm Child Psychol 38, 353–365 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-009-9371-8

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