Author ORCID Identifier
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-8-2014
Publication Title
Journal of the Society of Social Work and Research
Volume
5
Issue
3
Abstract
Many adolescents experience some aspect of cheating in their romantic relationships, yet developmental and cultural influences on this experience are not well understood. A grounded theory approach was used to uncover the processes through which cheating resulted in dating violence among 64 Mexican American adolescents (15 to 17 years old). Focus groups, separated by level of acculturation and gender (N = 20), revealed paradoxical expectations for trust and cheating in romantic relationships. Low acculturated youth, particularly males, held broader definitions of cheating behaviors, used peers to monitor cheating behaviors, and took breaches of cheating more seriously. Males were perceived as more likely to cheat, to cheat because of their diminished desire for commitment, and to use violence in reaction to cheating behavior. It is recommended that teen dating violence prevention programs use culturally attuned curricula that incorporate the integral role of peers and gendered norms and expectations within adolescents’ dating relationships.
Recommended Citation
Williams, L. R., Rueda, H.A., & Nagoshi, J. L. (2014). Trust, cheating, and dating violence in Mexican American romantic relationships. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 5(3), 339-360. https://doi.org/10.1086/677174
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Comments
“Accepted for publication and published by the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research on 07/08/2014.” © 2014 by the Society for Social Work and Research.