Date of Award

May 2020

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Ryan Shorey

Committee Members

Krista Lisdahl, Christine Larson

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization is a prevalent public health problem in college students and is associated with a variety of negative outcomes, such as suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms. Alcohol use and IPV perpetration are strongly and positively associated in college students, but the literature is less clear when examining the relationship between marijuana use and IPV perpetration. Further, no study has examined the relationship between simultaneous marijuana and alcohol (SAM) use (i.e., using alcohol and marijuana at the same time so that the effects overlap) and IPV perpetration in college students. Thus, the current thesis cross-sectionally examined the association between SAM use and physical, sexual, and psychological IPV perpetration in college students (N = 534). Results indicated that SAM use was significantly and positively associated with sexual IPV perpetration (B = 0.10, p < .01) and verbal/emotional IPV perpetration (B = 0.04, p < .01), after controlling for negative urgency, alcohol use, and marijuana use. For women, SAM use was significantly and positively associated with physical IPV perpetration (B = 0.13, p < 0.05), threatening behavior IPV perpetration (B = 0.10, p < 0.01), sexual IPV perpetration (B = 0.10, p < 0.01), and verbal/emotional IPV perpetration (B = 0.06, p < 0.01). For men, SAM use was significantly and negatively associated with physical IPV perpetration (B = -0.56, p < 0.01) and threatening behavior IPV perpetration (B = -0.18, p < 0.01). Results indicate the importance of targeting SAM use to reduce IPV perpetration in college students.

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