Correlates of dating violence among male and female heavy-drinking college students.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the correlates for dating violence among heavy-drinking college students.

METHOD

Participants were at least 18 years old and reported at least one heavy-drinking episode in the past 2 weeks.

RESULTS

After covariate adjustment, estimated peak blood alcohol concentration during the past month was associated with higher victims' verbal-emotional abuse score, and perpetrators' verbal-emotional abuse and threatening abuse scores ( N = 280). In addition, being non-White was significantly associated with higher victims' threatening abuse, physical abuse, and total abuse scores and perpetrators' threatening abuse and physical abuse scores. Moreover, male students had significantly lower victims' threatening abuse and physical abuse scores and perpetrators' threatening abuse scores compared to female students.

DISCUSSION

Preventive programs that target dating violence among heavy-drinking college students should consider alcohol use as an important risk factor for abusive behaviors, both for the victims as well as the perpetrators.