IPV in Young Adulthood: The Role of Life Course Stressors and Health Concerns

• In Event: 477 - Section on Crime, Law, and Deviance Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 17. Environment, Health, and Well-being

Abstract

This study examines the association between subjectively experienced life course stressors, normative beliefs, and intimate partner violence (IPV) among a sample of young adults. Prior research on stress processes and IPV primarily conceptualizes stress using a roster of negative life events, which fails to distinguish subjective reactions to such events or tap potentially chronic conditions. Drawing on a life course perspective, this study highlights life course stressors--including financial/economic concerns--that may contribute to IPV risk during the young adult period. Further, based on sociological stress and weathering research, this study examines health-related concerns as an additional source of stress among young adults. Research has indicated that global endorsement of IPV is low, and yet attitudes toward IPV have been found to influence partner violence, suggesting the need to develop more nuanced indicators. Thus, models examine the role of normative beliefs that support the use of violence under some conditions, as well as the extent to which such beliefs mediate or moderate the link between stress and IPV. Relying on data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS) (N = 928), results indicated that net of traditional correlates, life course stressors including financial/economic concerns and health-related concerns were associated with IPV risk. Moreover, attitudes reflecting a greater acceptance of violence under certain conditions contributed to the odds of IPV, and also mediated a portion of the relationship between stress and relationship violence.

Authors

• Jennifer Ellen Copp, Bowling Green State University

• Peggy C. Giordano, Bowling Green State University

• Monica A. Longmore, Bowling Green State University

• Wendy Diane Manning, Bowling Green State University