Date of Graduation

5-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Psychological Science

Advisor/Mentor

Cavell, Timothy

Committee Member

Judah, Matt

Second Committee Member

Ivey, Mack

Third Committee Member

Mixdorf, Cory

Abstract

This study tests whether insecure attachment style and parents’ modeling of unhealthy relationships predict adolescent dating violence (ADV) victimization. Also tested was the possible moderating role of secure attachment on the relation between parental modeling of unhealthy relationships and ADV victimization. It was hypothesized that insecure attachment and parental modeling of unhealthy relationships would individually be associated with increased ADV victimization, and secure attachment would attenuate the predicted positive association between parental modeling of unhealthy relationships and ADV victimization. Participants were adolescents (N = 152, M age = 15.61 years, SD = 1.086, 74.3% girls), who completed a survey that assessed ADV victimization, parental modeling of unhealthy relationships, and attachment style. Bivariate correlations indicated that modeling of unhealthy relationships by mothers and modeling of unhealthy relationships by the combination of both parents were significantly positively associated with ADV victimization, but these associations were not found in multivariate analyses. Discussed are the implications of these findings for future research in this area.

Keywords

adolescent dating violence; attachment style; parental modeling; partner violence

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