Relational Aggression in Dating and Romantic Relationships

Romantic relational aggression (RRA) is aimed at harming a romantic partner’s relationships with others. In this chapter, we discuss 15 RRA studies that show a high prevalence of RRA in surveys of adolescents, young adults, and married partners, and a gender difference (favoring females) in studies with large sample sizes. There is evidence of personal and social antecedents (e.g., parents and peers) of RRA, as well as poorer psychosocial outcomes from RRA. Researchers are identifying a developmental pathway from late childhood or adolescent general relational aggression to RRA, which seems to also involve attributions for and beliefs about aggressive and other hostile behavior, physiological and emotional reactions, and alcohol use. We present key future research directions, including the integration of RRA research with that from related fields, clarification regarding the conceptualization and measurement of RRA, and the development and evaluation of intervention programs aimed at reducing this form of aggression.