The Relationship Behavior Survey: A Comprehensive Measure of Psychological Intimate Partner Violence for Adolescents

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Adolescent Development
• Relationship Science

Background:

• Existing scales for adolescent psychological intimate partner violence (ψIPV) may lack sufficient items to capture diverse aggressive behaviors.
• Current measures may inaccurately label behaviors in non-conflictual or joking contexts as harmful.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Relationship Behavior Survey (RBS) for measuring denigrating, controlling, and intrusive ψIPV behaviors and perpetrator intent.
• To assess the factor structure, incremental validity, and criterion validity of the RBS in an adolescent sample.
• To examine gender differences in ψIPV and intent appraisals.

Main Methods:

• A national online survey of 1,100 adolescents (13–17 years) in dating relationships.
• Confirmatory factor analysis to examine the factor structure of the RBS.
• Incremental validity testing against general aggression and physical IPV, controlling for CADRI subscales.
• Criterion validity assessment including intent appraisals.

Main Results:

• The RBS supported a single ψIPV construct for both males and females.
• The RBS demonstrated incremental validity over existing measures.
• Criterion validity was supported for controlling intent (males and females) and mistrust intent (females).
• Joking intent was most reported by males and unexpectedly correlated with physical IPV.

Conclusions:

• The RBS captures a broader range of ψIPV behaviors compared to the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory (CADRI).
• Incorporating intent appraisals enhances the differentiation of ψIPV forms, especially those related to coercion and mistrust.
• The RBS provides a valuable tool for assessing nuanced aspects of psychological intimate partner violence in adolescents.