This study examines relationships between emotional health, stress management skills, fight-avoidance skills, and two forms of violence perpetration among adolescent girls at high risk for violence involvement. Girls ages 13-17 were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. Initial results showed that stress management skills and fight avoidance skills were inversely and significantly related to perpetration of both relational and physical violence. Emotional distress was related to significantly higher levels of both violence outcomes. In contrast, self-esteem was not significantly related to either violence outcome. Multivariate analyses revealed that stress management skills and fight avoidance skills were significantly protective against perpetration of both relational aggression and physical violence. In conclusion, findings suggest that clinicians providing services to adolescent girls involved in high risk behaviors assess and foster girls’ development of stress management and fight avoidance skills to help reduce their risk of involvement in relational violence and physical fighting.

• Given that this study finds that stress management and fight avoidance skills does prevent the perpetration of violence, what can programs do help instill these skills?
• Do you think that these skills would have an influence on whether or not girls are victims of violence as well? Why or why not?

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