Found early permission to date related to: feelings of being confident, independent, and tired; good relationship with mother; reported drinking and drug abuse problems; and frequent drug use. Found late permission related to feelings of being unsure, dependent, and refreshed; poor relationship with mother; maternal overstrictness; and serious…

College women (N=56) identified as holding either egalitarian or traditional attitudes toward dating-initiation, were randomly assigned to four taped, counseling conditions. Counselors expressing egalitarian attitudes were rated more favorably than counselors expressing traditional attitudes. (Author)

Identifies possible predictors of psychological abuse in nonmarital heterosexual romantic relationships. Responses from 175 undergraduate women reveal 11% claiming psychological abuse as well as more instances of partner behaviors characteristic of psychological abuse. Abused individuals were more likely to have lower self-esteem, had parents'…

Discusses the social problem of dating violence and presents a didactic support group model designed to empower young women as decision makers. Presents research findings supporting the content of the group model and discusses the potential impact of the group according to feedback from participants. (RB)

Studied parent-adolescent conflict and late adolescents' attachment anxiety and depressive symptoms as predictors of late adolescents' romantic relationships. Findings based on questionnaire responses of 256 college students highlight the differential roles of familial and individual attributes in female and male adolescents' romantic relationship…

A specially designed Life Goals Scale was administered to 303 university students (200 women and 103 men) to assess the relative importance of life goals and relationships. Results indicate that university students place a high value on heterosexual relationships and are willing to sacrifice most other goals for the relationships. (AF)

Examined relationship of courtship violence to sex-role identification, family background of marital violence, and other demographic variables in 109 college students. Primary findings confirmed link for those in abusive dating relationships with family background of marital violence. Found association between abusive experiences and fraternity or…

Black (N=64), White (N=130), and Hispanic (N=34) college students completed measures of intimate violence. Abusive behaviors examined included possessiveness; rejection; sexual pressure; forced sex; moderate physical abuse; and violence leading to visible injuries, need for medical help, or police involvement. Results revealed that incidence of…

Surveyed students (n=631) from rural, suburban, and inner-city high schools regarding sexual, physical, and verbal dating violence. Proportion of females reporting sexual violence was 15.5%; proportion reporting physical violence was same. Proportion of males reporting violence was lower. Significant correlates of violence included dating…

Examines male and female adolescents and their experience of "being in love." Qualitative analyses suggest that early and middle adolescents are actively reasoning about the nature and meaning of romantic feelings and experiences. Discusses results from standpoint of psychosocial-development theory. (Author/JDM)

Examines the effect of having a sibling or a dating partner on adolescents' relationships with others, focusing on the social rules used in relationships with peers, siblings, and parents. Data support a model of relationship management using siblings as stepping-stones of egalitarian peer features to the world of friends and authoritative parent…

Summarizes the experiences of adolescents (N=244) regarding their experiences with dating relationships, sexual communication skills, and upper income. Results show that adolescents were generally confident that they could assert their own preferences and stand up to others regarding sexual issues, except for a small group of high school males.…

Provides a number of reading and discussion exercises on issue-oriented questions (such as "overpopulation") that may be used for just about any level of English-as-a-Second-Language instruction. Suggests a role-play exercise in imitation of the television show "Dating Game." (TB)

Rating adjectives, 54 female and 53 male college students indicated their own preferences in dating partners or their perceptions of the other gender's preferences. The men rated good looks and physical health higher than the women did, while the women valued industriousness more than the men did. Both men and women valued intelligence more than…

A fundamental issue in research on violence between couples who are dating or married is the question of when abuse begins in the relationship. A study was conducted to examine the relationship between gender, level of emotional commitment, and the use of conflict tactics in couples whose levels of emotional commitment ranged from "casual…