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Adolescent Romantic Relationships As Precursors of Healthy Adult Marriages a Review of Theory, Research, and Programs Adolescent Romantic Relationships as Precursors of Healthy Adult Marriages A Review of Theory, Research, and Programs Benjamin R. Karney, Megan K. Beckett, Rebecca L. Collins, Rebecca Shaw Prepared for the Department of Health and Human Services The research described in this report was conducted by RAND Labor and Population. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Department of Health and Human Services. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Adolescent romantic relationships as precursors of healthy adult marriages : a review of theory, research, and programs / Benjamin R. Karney ... [et al.]. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-0-8330-4178-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Interpersonal relations in adolescence—United States. 2. Interpersonal relations in adolesence—Research. 3. Teenagers—United States—Attitudes. 4. Teenagers with social disabilities—United States—Attitudes. 5. Marriage—United States. 6. Interpersonal relations—Study and teaching—United States. 7. Family life education—United States. 8. Developmental psychology. I. Karney, Benjamin R. BF724.3.I58A36 2007 155.5'18—dc22 2007021574 The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. R® is a registered trademark. © Copyright 2007 RAND Corporation All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from RAND. Published 2007 by the RAND Corporation 1776 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138 1200 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA 22202-5050 4570 Fifth Avenue, Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2665 RAND URL: http://www.rand.org/ To order RAND documents or to obtain additional information, contact Distribution Services: Telephone: (310) 451-7002; Fax: (310) 451-6915; Email: [email protected] Preface Policymakers are interested in promoting healthy marriages in adulthood by providing ser­ vices to strengthen the adolescent precursors of healthy marriage, especially within low-income populations. The broad goal of this report is to inform these efforts by evaluating the current landscape of theory, research, and interventions addressing the role of adolescent romantic rela­ tionships in the development of healthy adult marriages. To this end, the analyses presented here draw upon a thorough review of the existing theoretical and empirical literature in this area, as well as interviews with practitioners directly involved with developing or administering relationship education to adolescents. By bringing together relevant research and theory from a wide range of disciplines that have examined these issues, the analyses presented here may be of use to several different audiences, including program developers and those working directly with adolescents, policymakers charged with developing polices to support healthy marriages, and researchers seeking to build upon the existing research and theory in this area. This work was supported by a contract with the Administration for Children and Families within the Department of Health and Human Services, and conducted within the RAND Corporation Labor and Population program. RAND Labor and Population has built an international reputation for conducting objective, high-quality, empirical research to sup­ port and improve policies and organizations around the world. Its work focuses on labor mar­ kets, social welfare policy, demographic behavior, immigration, international development, and issues related to aging and retirement with a common aim of understanding how policy and social and economic forces affect individual decisionmaking and the well-being of chil­ dren, adults, and families. The views expressed in the report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the Administration for Children and Families or the Department of Health and Human Services. For more information on RAND Labor and Population, contact Arie Kapteyn, Direc­ tor, RAND Labor and Population, RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138, (310) 393-0411 x7973, email: [email protected]. iii Contents Preface ........................................................................................................... iii Figures ........................................................................................................... ix Tables ............................................................................................................ xi Executive Summary . xiii Acknowledgments . xxvii Abbreviations . xxix CHAPTER ONE Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 Trends in Marriage, Cohabitation, and Child-Bearing...................................................... 1 Supporting Healthy Marriages: Where to Intervene? ........................................................ 2 Are the Seeds of Healthy Marriages Sown in Adolescence? ................................................. 3 Adolescent Romantic Relationships: The State of the Field ................................................. 5 Objectives and Scope of This Report .......................................................................... 5 Organization of the Report ..................................................................................... 6 Defining Terms ................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER TWO Describing Adolescents’ Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behaviors with Respect to Romantic Relationships ............................................................................................... 9 Data Sources ...................................................................................................... 9 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) ..................................... 10 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) ....................................................................... 10 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) .............................................................. 11 National Survey of Adolescent Males (NSAM) ........................................................... 11 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) ......................................................... 11 Limitations of the Available Data ............................................................................. 12 Adolescents’ Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Dating and Romance ..................................... 13 Adolescents’ Expectations and Attitudes About Marriage, Cohabitation, and Divorce . 15 Correlates of Adolescents’ Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Romantic Relationships . 17 Sexual Experience ............................................................................................ 17 Parents and Peers ............................................................................................. 18 Media . 18 i Adolescent Romantic Relationships as Precursors of Healthy Adult Marriages Adolescents’ Behaviors in Romantic Relationships ......................................................... 19 Duration of Adolescent Romantic Relationships ........................................................ 20 Degree of Involvement Between Partners ................................................................. 21 Number of Romantic and Sexual Relationships in Adolescence ....................................... 22 Characteristics of Romantic Partners in Adolescence ................................................... 24 Intimate Partner Violence in Adolescence ................................................................. 25 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................... 26 CHAPTER THREE Theoretical Perspectives on Adolescent Relationships and Adult Development . 29 Attachment Theory ............................................................................................ 30 Summary of the Theory ..................................................................................... 30 Evaluating the Theory ....................................................................................... 31 Implications for Intervention ................................................................................ 32 The Lifespan Development Perspective ....................................................................... 33 Summary of the Theory ...................................................................................... 33 Evaluating the Theory ...................................................................................... 34 Implications for Intervention ............................................................................... 34 The Development of Early Adult Romantic Relationships (DEARR) Model ........................... 35 Summary of the Theory ..................................................................................... 35 Evaluating the Theory ...................................................................................... 36 Implications for Intervention ...............................................................................
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