The COVID-19 pandemic has forced couples to navigate illness-related stressors and unique public health responses, including extended lockdowns. This study focused on under-resourced North Carolina residents (n = 107) who self-reported changes in relationship conflict (Increased, Decreased, Stayed the Same) and intimate partner violence (IPV) during the pandemic. We expected high rates of increased conflict and IPV since the start of the pandemic. We then sought to determine the associations between dyadic changes in conflict and reports of IPV and pandemic-related experiences and responses. Participants completed a brief online survey assessing their demographics, COVID-19 exposure/stressors, and pandemic responses. As expected, reports of increased couple conflict were related to difficulties getting needed social support, loss of health insurance, more fear and worry, stress, pain, and greater use of alcohol and/or illicit drugs, related to the coronavirus. Participants reporting increased conflict were also more likely to be unemployed. Conversely, reports of decreased conflict were associated with being ill from the virus (48.9%), having health insurance, and working part time. Substantial amounts of IPV were reported (62.2% of the sample); however, increased conflict and IPV were unrelated. Those reporting No IPV were less likely to be receiving public assistance but more likely to have home responsibilities due to the virus. They also reported increased social interactions and less use of alcohol than those reporting IPV perpetration. Findings highlight key associations among pandemic experiences and responses, IPV, and couple functioning in an under-resourced sample. Efforts to facilitate coping, resilience, and tolerating uncertainty may facilitate cooperative and safe couple functioning throughout the pandemic.

Cyber dating abuse (CDA) is a growing public health concern among college students. CDA includes monitoring and abusive behaviors perpetrated toward an ex-partner via technology. Little is known about the predictors of CDA, particularly among sexual minority (SM) college students. Some theorized but relatively untested predictors include break-up characteristics, emotional regulation deficits, and alcohol use. The current study investigates what factors are associated with an increased risk for CDA toward an ex-partner (i.e., break-up characteristics, emotional dysregulation, and alcohol use) and the differences in associations with CDA between heterosexual and SM college students. Participants ( N = 661) self-reported their CDA perpetration following their worst romantic break-up. They also answered questions about the break-up, their emotional regulation skills, and their current alcohol use. While SM students ( n = 191) reported greater emotion regulation difficulties and alcohol use, they did not significantly differ from heterosexual participants ( n = 470) in their reported CDA perpetration post-break-up. Hierarchical regressions were conducted to determine the impact of break-up characteristics and individual factors on CDA perpetration. Break-up characteristics, emotional dysregulation, and alcohol use significantly predicted heterosexual participants’ CDA perpetration and accounted for 17% of the variance. Conversely, for SM students, only alcohol use was predictive of CDA, accounting for 5% of the variance. Although SM students report similar break-up experiences and levels of CDA as heterosexual students, additional, unmeasured factors may drive perpetration. However, given the generally high rates of alcohol use and CDA, and their robust association, interventions targeting alcohol reduction and healthy relationship dissolution strategies may be beneficial.

Background: This study tested an unexplored pathway to post-traumatic growth (PTG), in which vital positive experiences with a romantic partner can act as the theoretically necessary ”seismic event” disrupting entrenched negative core beliefs and promoting PTG for child abuse survivors.Objective: This study examined the role of positive child abuse disclosure experiences to a romantic partner and subsequent relational processes (i.e., social support received from their romantic partner and communal coping) in promoting positive reappraisal of negative core beliefs and subsequent PTG.Participants and Setting: Undergraduates (n = 262, 72% with multiple forms of abuse) reported on their experiences of child maltreatment and the timing and nature of their disclosure to a romantic partner.Methods: Participants indicated whether they received social support and communal coping with their romantic partner following their abuse disclosure. These experiences were then used to predict reappraisal of core beliefs, and current PTG.Results: The overall model was significant, with positivity of the disclosure, social support, communal coping (action and appraisal), and positive reappraisal accounting for 44% of the total variance in PTG scores. Social support and positive reappraisal, but not communal coping, had significant indirect effects on PTG through positive reappraisal of core beliefs.Conclusions: Results suggest that positive child maltreatment disclosure experiences to a romantic partner can facilitate the reappraisal of negative core beliefs and, in turn, promote PTG. Romantic partners’ support may play a pivotal role in how survivors view themselves and how they construct meaning from their childhood traumatic experiences.