Cross-Day Associations Between Relational Factors and Intimate Partner Violence in Young Adult Couples

Abstract

The prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) is alarmingly high, with young adults at increased risk, underscoring the importance of identifying risk factors for perpetration of IPV. IPV is largely understood as a dyadic process, as it involves both partners and is inherently influenced by the behaviors of both partners. Thus, it is important that research poised to better understand risk factors for IPV utilize young adult samples that include both dyad members. Previous research examining risk factors for IPV perpetration has identified multiple relational factors (i.e., relationship characteristics influenced by both partners) that impact risk. In particular, findings suggest lower relationship satisfaction and high levels of conflict are associated with higher levels of IPV. Yet, these relational factors are generally examined distally to IPV, leaving little existing research on how these factors affect proximal risk for IPV perpetration. Daily diary designs are well suited to address this gap, as they allow for the study of fluctuations in relational factors on a daily level, including the day prior and day of an act of IPV. As such, the present study used data consisting of young adult couples (N = 172 couples) who completed a 60-day daily-diary design to examine whether proximal relationship satisfaction and conflict increase risk for IPV perpetration. Results suggest that daily increases in one’s own and one’s partner’s relationship satisfaction is associated with decreases in same-day and next-day psychological IPV. Conversely, daily increases in one’s own and their partner’sconflict is associated with increases in same-day psychological IPV perpetration. In sum, results suggest relationship satisfaction and conflict may be proximal risk factors for IPV perpetration, particularly psychological IPV perpetration. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed.