Developmental patterns of antisocial behavior and relationship quality in adolescence as precursors of characteristics of early adulthood romantic relationships

• In Event: Romantic Relationships and Criminal Offending

Abstract

Adolescent delinquency is known to impact relationship formation timing and quality. Assortative mating and social contagion have been proposed to explain these findings. From theory - attachment theory, social learning - and empirical research on relationship formation we know that the quality of relationships with significant others such as parents and peers during adolescence have linkages with experienced relationship quality with adult romantic partners.
Combining criminological and relationship theoretical perspectives in predicting adult romantic relationship characteristics we use prospective and longitudinal measures of both adolescent antisocial behavior and adolescent relationship quality with significant others to predict adult romantic relationship characteristics, i.e. antisocial behavior, police contacts of self and partner, and adult relationship timing and quality.
The study uses data from 497 focal individuals and their families that are part of the RADAR (Research on Adolescent Delinquency and Relationships) project. Respondents were followed annually between 2006-2011 and revisited in 2013. Group-based trajectory analysis was used to identify clusters of individuals characterized by distinct development trajectories in antisocial behavior and perceived relationship quality with significant others. Next, we used group membership to predict early adulthood characteristics of both target and partner as well as their relationship.

Authors

• Veroni Eichelsheim, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR)

• Arjan A.J. Blokland, NSCR