"I haven't done nothin' crazy lately:" Conflict resolution strategies in adolescent mothers' dating relationships

The purpose of this study was to explore adolescent mothers' perceptions of how the conflict resolution strategies in their dating relationships changed after participating in a skill-based relationship education program. The sample for this study consisted of 199 primarily Hispanic adolescent mothers who participated in 23 focus group interviews. Although our goal was not to explore the prevalence of violence in adolescent mothers' dating relationships, narratives revealed surprisingly candid descriptions of both psychological and physical abuse. On a more positive note, their discussions also highlighted how the Strengthening Relationships program taught them strategies to build and maintain healthy relationships. Four themes emerged from our analysis. Specifically, the narratives revealed adolescent mothers were both perpetrators and victims of psychological and/or physical abuse. In addition, adolescent mothers reported learning positive conflict resolution strategies. They also discussed how they were implementing new conflict resolution strategies as a result of participating in the program. A small number of adolescent mothers even reported ending abusive relationships. These findings indicate the Strengthening Relationships program was successful in changing adolescent mothers' attitudes toward and behavioral intentions regarding the use of abusive tactics. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.