The relationship between substance abuse and dating violence has been well studied over the past few decades, but has not been as extensively researched in the foster care population. Studies that have been conducted with this population have demonstrated an increase in negative outcomes as a result of having experienced foster care. Few studies have examined substance use or dating violence in relation to foster care experiences and the results come from small or non-representative samples. The current study evaluated the role that being in foster care can have in the relationship between substance abuse and dating violence. We predict that individuals that were in foster care, as children, would be more likely to abuse drugs and will experience higher levels of dating violence than individuals who were not in foster care. In addition, the relationship between substance abuse and dating violence will be greater for those in foster compared to those not in the foster care system. Finally, the number of foster care homes a child was in will exacerbate the relationship between substance abuse and dating violence. The results of this study may have implications for foster care programs and may call attention to negative outcomes associated with foster care homes and their aversive consequences.
