The Influence of Females' Adolescent Peer Communication On Early Adult Romantic Relationship Adjustment

Experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) during early adulthood increases risk for several mental and physical health outcomes, such as alcohol and other drug abuse, major depressive and anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and brain injuries (Campbell, 2002; Nurius, Macy, Bhuyan, et al., 2003; Stein & Kennedy, 2001; Valera & Berenbaum, 2003). Researchers have empirically identified many family predictors of early adult IPV, such as history of victimization, particularly sexual abuse, parent antisocial behavior, and inter-parental and domestic violence (Cyr, McDuff, & Wright, 2006; Gagne, Lavoie, & Hébert, 2005). During adolescence, however, family influence declines and peer contexts become more influential on concurrent and future romantic relationships (Capaldi & Crosby, 1997; Connolly, Furman, & Konarski, 2000). The purpose of the present study was to use a deviancy training process framework and longitudinal data to examine how females’ same-sex peer communication dynamics during adolescence influenced their romantic relationship adjustment during early adulthood. This contribution is unique in that it considers both positive and negative romantic relationship adjustment during early adulthood, and the developmental trajectories that lead to each. Present study participants included 113 females who participated in the longitudinal, multiwave Project Alliance intervention study during waves six (age range 14-19 years, M = 16) and eight(age range 20-24 years, M = 22) (PAL; Dishion & Kavanagh, 2003). At wave six observational data were collected for each participant and a same-sex peer in the Peer Interaction Task (PIT). Data were coded for positive and negative communication dynamics. At wave 8 participants completed the PAL Young Adult Survey and provided data about romantic involvement and romantic relationship adjustment. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted for positive and negative romantic relationship adjustment in early adulthood on positive and negative peer communication in adolescence. Overall study results showed that positive and negative communication dynamics during adolescence did significantly predict negative romantic relationship adjustment, but not positive romantic relationship adjustment, during early adulthood for females. Adolescent communication dynamics accounted for a low percentage of the variance, however, for negative romantic relationship adjustment during adulthood. These study results expand the deviancy training literature by demonstrating that adolescent peer communication is significantly related to negative romantic relationship adjustment for females, and point to adolescence as a critical point of intervention for early adult IPV. Further implications for research and practice are discussed.