Master's Theses

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Date of Award

Spring 1991

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Social Work

Advisor

Bill Daley

Abstract

The purpose of the researcher was to investigate abuse during teen dating relationships. A status survey design with pre-determined and post hoc grouping was employed. The independent variables investigated were self-esteem, gender, classification, quality of family life, dating frequency, longest dating relationship, and dating style. The dependent variables were physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and total abuse. The sample consisted of 142 females and 131 males. Instruments employed were the Abuse Inventory and Attribute Inventories for Self and Family. Five composite null hypotheses were tested. Seventy-six comparisons plus 52 recurring comparisons were made. Twenty-eight of the comparisons were for main effect and 48 were for interactions. Of the 28 main effects 21 were statistically significant at the .05 level. Nine of the 48 interactions were statistically significant at the .05 level. The results of the following study appeared to support the following generalizations: 1. Subjects with low self-esteem reported greater sexual abuse than those with moderate and high self-esteem. 2. Males reported greater physical abuse than females. 3. Subjects with high quality of family life reported less emotional, sexual, and total abuse than those with low quality of family life. 4. Subjects who dated occasionally reported less physical abuse than those who dated often. 5. Subjects who dated often reported less total abuse than those who dated occasionally. 6. Juniors regardless of self-esteem reported numerically less physical abuse than seniors. 7. Seniors with moderate self-esteem reported numerically less emotional and total abuse than juniors with moderate self-esteem. 8. Subjects reporting single dating style for the duration of the 1-3 months reported numerically the least amount of physical abuse of any subgroup. 9. Subjects reporting pick-up dating style had numerically the highest emotional abuse for both dating frequencies (often and occasionally) and pick-up dating style for the duration of 8 months + had the lowest emotional abuse of any subgroup. 10. Pick-up dating style for 1 week to 7 months duration reported numerically the highest emotional sexual and total abuse and pick-up dating style for the duration of 8 months + duration had the lowest emotional, sexual and total abuse of any subgroup.

Comments

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Rights

© 1991 Rita Lee Carswell

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