ORIGINAL ARTICLE Fortitude in the Face of Adversity: Resilience as a Moderator of the Developmental Pathway from Childhood Exposure to Violence to Dating Violence Perpetration Ashton E. Munoz 1 & Michelle E. Pence 2 Published online: 14 April 2016 # Springer International Publishing 2016 Abstract The purpose of the current study is examining per- sonal resilience as a moderator of the developmental pathway from childhood exposure to violence to the experience of dat- ing violence. Participants (N = 235) completed a series of mea- sures in Spring of 2015. Results from analyses revealed partial support for the three hypotheses. While resilience moderated relations between childhood exposure factors (exposure to indirect violence, violence in the home, and neighborhood violence) and three outcomes related to the perpetration of dating violence (threatening behaviors, emotional/verbal abuse, and physical abuse), resilience did not moderate any relations with victimization as an outcome. Results are discussed in terms of the development of resilient functioning. Keywords Resilience . Moderated effects analysis . Dating violence . Child development A large body of research has been dedicated to defining the variables related to the experience of dating violence, a form of intimate partner violence occurring between individuals in close, unmarried relationships (Centers for Disease Control 2014). The features of dating violence depend on the definition being used, but can include behaviors such as phys- ical abuse, psychological or emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and stalking (CDC 2014). Exposure to dating violence is re- lated to a number of adverse outcomes, including heavy alco- hol use, depression, suicidal ideation, and later victimization by intimate partner violence (Exner-Cortens et al. 2013). Further, recent reports state that while prevalence rates of in- timate partner violence are declining (Catalano 2012), dating violence prevalence rates continue to rise (United States Department of Justice 2015), making the search for contribut- ing and protective factors a critical area of inquiry. Guerra et al. (2003) stated that Bone of the most robust findings in the literature on the etiology of aggression is the statistical continuity of aggression from early childhood into adulthood^ (p. 1561). Indeed, a growing body of literature has linked childhood exposure to violence with a number of vio- lent outcomes, including victimization by and perpetration of intimate partner violence (Menard et al. 2014; Palazzolo et al. 2010; Whitfield et al. 2003; Yount et al. 2014). However, to date, relatively few studies have been conducted on dating violence, specifically, as an outcome of exposure to violence in childhood. Understanding the early development of aggressive behav- ior, including contextual factors (i.e., parental/familial, com- munity) and role factors (i.e., witness, victim), is important to understanding the etiology of dating violence. Researchers argue that children observe the violence that goes on around them, make inferences and attributions, and acquire scripts for communication and normative beliefs which guide future vi- olent and aggressive behavior (Guerra et al. 2003). These normative beliefs about the acceptability of aggression, coupled with the widespread belief that abusive behaviors are Bnormal^ aspects of dating relationships, results in the formation of unhealthy relationships that can last a lifetime (CDC 2014). This research was conducted by Ashton E. Munoz (B.A., The University of Texas of the Permian Basin, May 2015 and Graduate Student at Texas Tech University), and Michelle E. Pence, Ph.D. (Ph.D., Louisiana State University, August 2013), Assistant Professor in the Communication Program at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. * Michelle E. Pence pence_m@utpb.edu 1 Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA 2 Communication Program, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin, 4901 East University Boulevard, Odessa, TX 79762, USA Journ Child Adol Trauma (2016) 9:167–177 DOI 10.1007/s40653-016-0088-x