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A Moderator Model of Alcohol Use and Dating Aggression among Young Adults

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Abstract

Dating aggression has been identified as a priority public health concern. Although alcohol use is a known robust risk factor for dating aggression involvement, such usage is neither necessary nor sufficient for dating aggression involvement. As such, a growing topic of interest is a better understanding of when, and for whom, alcohol use increases risk. A theoretical moderator model posits that associations between alcohol use and dating aggression involvement vary depending on both background (e.g., psychopathology) and situational (e.g., relationship characteristics) risk factors. Alcohol use is thought to be more strongly associated with dating aggression in the context of these other risk factors. Using an intensive longitudinal design, we collected six waves of data spanning 6 months from 120 participants (60 females; M age W1 = 22.44). Alcohol use and relationship risk were both associated with increases in dating aggression involvement. Consistent with a moderator model, interactions emerged between alcohol use and relationship risk for subsequent dating aggression involvement. The findings underscore the importance of alcohol use and relationship risk for the development of intervention and prevention programs.

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Acknowledgements

Preparation of this manuscript was supported by Grant 049080 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (WF, P.I.), Grant F31 AA023692 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (CC, P.I.) and the Society for Research on Child Development (SRCD) SECC Dissertation Funding Award.

Authors’ Contributions

C.C. and W.F. conceived of the study together. C.C. performed the statistical analyses, interpretation of the data, and drafted the manuscript. W.F. also participated in the interpretation of the data and contributed to the writing of the manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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  1. Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, USA

    Charlene Collibee

  2. John Evans Professor and Director of Clinical Training, Department of Psychology, University of Denver, 2155 S. Race Street, Denver, CO, 80209, USA

    Wyndol Furman

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  1. Charlene Collibee
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Correspondence to Charlene Collibee.

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Collibee, C., Furman, W. A Moderator Model of Alcohol Use and Dating Aggression among Young Adults. J Youth Adolescence 47, 534–546 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0734-0

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