Close relationships change dramatically from the elementary school years to the middle and high school years, presenting many new challenges as human development proceeds toward adulthood. Interpersonal styles of moving toward or with significant others or, conversely, of moving against them have been learned and practiced for many years prior to the entry to adolescence. Aggression is primarily an interpersonal process. Once adolescence is reached, the challenges of getting along with heterosexual partners in close relationships are no less difficult than relating to the same gender friends and acquaintances, and the likelihood of aggressive behavior between romantic partners may appear as early as do romantic relationships. Taboos against physically hurting the one you love may not be strong enough to overcome aggression learned over the previous 12 years. The developmental contexts provided by childhood and adolescent close relationships, within which aggression and violence arises, and the forms and prevalence of partner aggression and violence in adolescence are explored in this chapter. The origins of dating aggression seen both in differences among individual partners and among couples that appear to foster dating partner aggression also are the major focus of this chapter.

Consider the following example of dating partner aggression as a prototype for adolescent relationship aggression. George and Sarah, he a 12th grader and she a 10th grader, have been dating for 2 years. One day, an argument flares up because one of the partners has discovered the other to have been unfaithful, violating their implicit agreement of exclusivity.