Romantic Partner Deviance and the Continuity of Violence From Adolescence to Adulthood Among Offending Girls

Little research has examined whether romantic relationships promote or deter antisocial behavior over the transition to adulthood among women who offend in adolescence. We examined associations between partner deviance and offending for women who were sentenced to confinement within a juvenile correctional facility in adolescence. Most (73.6%) women dated deviant partners in adulthood. Women with deviant partners experienced significant continuity in violent crime between adolescence and adulthood, whereas those with nondeviant partners did not. Results held after controlling for age, relationship length, and peer deviance. Partner deviance was associated with increased nonviolent crime within adulthood, but did not moderate the continuity of nonviolent crime. Interventions targeting the development of prosocial relationships might help reduce violence among high-risk girls.