Dating couples are more likely to be violent than married couples.

Dating couples are more likely to be violent than married couples.

• A. More likely
• B. Less likely
• C. Equally likely
• D. Never

Answer: (A)

Dating relationships tend to carry higher exposure to factors that increase violence risk, so this statement reflects the pattern seen in many studies. Non-marital relationships often involve younger partners, more relationship transitions, and less stability, which can heighten conflict and create situations where controlling behaviors, jealousy, or impulsive actions escalate into violence. There are also fewer formal resources and consequences in dating contexts to discourage abusive behavior, such as limited access to ongoing support networks or legal mechanisms that help enforce safety. In contrast, marriage often brings protective influences: social norms that discourage violence, stronger external support from families and communities, and more access to resources that help people seek help or leave a violent situation. The commitment and shared responsibilities of marriage can also promote efforts to resolve conflicts nonviolently. Of course, violence can and does occur within marriages, but the overall pattern found in research is that dating relationships show higher rates of intimate partner violence than married ones.

Dating relationships tend to carry higher exposure to factors that increase violence risk, so this statement reflects the pattern seen in many studies. Non-marital relationships often involve younger partners, more relationship transitions, and less stability, which can heighten conflict and create situations where controlling behaviors, jealousy, or impulsive actions escalate into violence. There are also fewer formal resources and consequences in dating contexts to discourage abusive behavior, such as limited access to ongoing support networks or legal mechanisms that help enforce safety.

In contrast, marriage often brings protective influences: social norms that discourage violence, stronger external support from families and communities, and more access to resources that help people seek help or leave a violent situation. The commitment and shared responsibilities of marriage can also promote efforts to resolve conflicts nonviolently. Of course, violence can and does occur within marriages, but the overall pattern found in research is that dating relationships show higher rates of intimate partner violence than married ones.