Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Exposure To Family Violence And Early Sexual Engagement: Potential Disruptors To Intimacy Development In Girls' Early To Middle Adolescent Close Friendships, Jami C. Pittman
Wayne State University Dissertations
Informed by theories of interpersonal development, this study evaluates whether two known threats to psychosocial health – exposure to family violence (EFV) and early sexual engagement (ESE) – are associated with adolescent girls’ intimacy development with close same-sex friends. A sample of metropolitan-area, mostly Black and African American (77%) girls (N = 93; Mage = 12.5) provided three waves of longitudinal data over 18 months (T1 – T3), spanning early to middle adolescence. Multilevel models were used to examine changes in girls’ close friendships, including the number of closest same-sex friends and quality of best same-sex friendship. Cumulative EFV and …