The Initiation of Dating in Adolescence: The Effect of Parental Divorce. The TRAILS Study
Ivanova K., Mills M., Veenstra R.
This study examined the effect of parental divorce on the time it took adolescents to initiate their first romantic relationships. Individual differences in temperament and pubertal development and the age of the adolescent at the time of divorce were also taken into account. Hypotheses were tested using event history analysis with a sample of 1,487 Dutch adolescents. Results indicated that divorce sped up the transition to first relationship only when experienced in early adolescence. Findings are discussed in light of research on the heightened sensitivity to stress during transition periods such as the entry into adolescence. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Research on Adolescence © 2011 Society for Research on Adolescence.