Extending a Social Control Framework to Explain the Link between Romantic Relationships and Violent Victimization by Non-Intimate Perpetrators: A Study of Actor and Partner Effects

Victim data reveals that romantic relationships correspond to significant reductions in violent victimizations committed by strangers and acquaintances. This study offers a more detailed exploration of this finding. Specifically, we investigate the effect of relationship quality and structure on vic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Justice quarterly 2024-06, Vol.41 (4), p.494-522
Main Authors: Schreck, Christopher J., Krajewski, Andrew, Berg, Mark T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Couples
dyads
Interpersonal relations
Personal relationships
Quality
Risk
Romantic relationships
Social control
Victimization
violence
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Summary:Victim data reveals that romantic relationships correspond to significant reductions in violent victimizations committed by strangers and acquaintances. This study offers a more detailed exploration of this finding. Specifically, we investigate the effect of relationship quality and structure on victimization risk in combination with mechanisms a social control perspective would suggest as theoretically possible. We also consider the independent contributions of both romantic partners toward this apparent protective effect. We use two waves of adult data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which include data from both respondent and their partner and adjust for treatment selection a series of models. The protective benefits of relationship quality for the individual respondent appeared to have: (1) functioned irrespective of their partner's perception of relationship quality, (2) were negated or related to even greater victimization risk if the relationship quality was poor, and (3) were explained by reductions in lifestyle choices associated with risk of violent victimization.
ISSN:0741-8825
1745-9109
DOI:10.1080/07418825.2023.2236674