| Abstract |
Introduction: Understanding the specific risk profile for distinct forms of dating aggression (DA) is very informative to define cross-cutting interventions. The study aims to evaluate whether specific profiles of risk defined using a person-oriented approach predicted physical, sexual, and psychological DA after 6 months. Methods: Eight hundred sixty-six Spanish adolescents were interviewed at two time points (50.5% male; average age = 15.04). Latent profile analysis at T1 was used to delineate profiles of individual and relational risk. Results: A three-class model best represents the data: a normative class (N = 768; 88%); a highly aggressive class characterized by acceptance of violent norms, bullying behaviors, and anger dysregulation (N = 13, 1.5%); a jealous-conflictual class characterized by cognitive and emotional jealousy, negative couple quality, and anger dysregulation (N = 85, 10%). Controlling for age, sex, and longitudinal stability, physical DA was predicted significantly by the highly aggressive profile (ß =.11; p <.05), psychological DA by the jealous-conflictual profile (ß =.16; p <.01), and sexual DA by the jealous-conflictual (ß =.20; p <.001) and highly aggressive profile as a trend (ß =.08; p =.071). Conclusions: Specific risk profiles differentially predict risk for physical, sexual, and psychological DA perpetration. A general aggressive pattern predicts physical DA and sexual DA weakly, whereas psychological and sexual DA are associated with a couple of risks, where the dimension of jealousy, control, and conflict characterizes the dynamic between partners. Policy Implications: Findings suggested that physical DA, and at a lower level sexual DA, should be prevented using cross-cutting strategies on general aggression. Psychological and sexual DA might require more contextually based interventions. © 2021, The Author(s). |
Gestionar cookies