Past aggressive behavior, costs and benefits of aggression, romantic attachment, and teen dating violence perpetration in Spain

Abstract

Purpose: The exposure to violence increases risk for future involvement; however, given that the transmission of violence is not universal, mechanisms underlying such association must be explored. The main aim of this study was to analyze the contribution of expected costs and benefits of aggressive behavior and romantic attachment to the association between past and present teen dating violence. Methods: A stratified two-stage cluster sampling was used to select a sample of 593 high school students. Participants were between 15 and 18 years old (M=16.97, SD=0.95; 41.82% male and 58.18% female) and were either currently involved or had been involved in at least one serious relationship in the previous 12 months. Results: An association between past and current aggressive behavior in dating relationships was found, as well as between dating violence and expected benefits of aggression. Other analyzed variables were found to have little or no influence on current dating violence perpetration (i.e., verbal-emotional, physical and sexual). Conclusions: This study offers evidence of the importance of early intervention. In addition, it is essential to change adolescent perceptions regarding any expected benefits of aggression and to promote skills as an alternative to violence.