Dating relationships were examined for a sample of 156 female and 124 male college freshman. Comparison of self esteem, mastery, coping strategies, and negotiation styles were made between those who had experienced dating violence and those who had not. A theoretical framework based on the resource aspect of exchange theory is used to frame the study. Factor analysis was used to identify coping strategies and negotiation styles. Discriminate analysis was used to determine the discriminating power of the independent variables. Findings indicate that the negotiation style of Negative Affect and the coping strategies of Confrontation and Social Support discriminate between violent and nonviolent group membership.

Master of Science