Dr. Howard Awarded Grant to Explore Religion and Relationships

Religion: Does it discourage harmful sexual behavior in adolescent girls, or could some forms of spirituality instill a belief in gender power differences that may place adolescent girls in harm's way? It's this question that Dr. Donna Howard will explore with a $150,000 grant awarded by the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development.

The two-year study kicked off at the end of last month with Dr. Brad Boekeloo co-investigating. They will recruit girls 15-18 years of age from select secular, religious, single-gender and coed high schools in the greater Baltimore area. Dr. Howard, who is with the Public and Community Health Department, talked with The Healthy Turtle about why she wants to explore this issue, and she clued us in on what the CDC calls a healthy relationship.

Healthy Turtle: You've always been interested in at-risk behaviors of adolescents. Have you done previous research of the impact of religion and spirituality, or of dating relationships? Or is this a brand new area?
Dr. Donna Howard: My research has focused on culture and context and how that shapes and reinforces adolescent behavior; religiosity and spirituality, as spheres of socialization, are more recent frames of reference for my research.

HT: Why have you chosen to explore the impact of religion and spirituality on relationships?
DH: Religious socialization may discourage teen dating and/or discourage teens from engaging in risky sexual behavior. Alternatively, religious beliefs and practices may also place youth in harms way if they are socialized to believe in power differentials and submissiveness, or are not educated in safe sex practices. I find the complexities and contradictory nature of effects interesting. It is an important ecological domain and has implications for a number of adolescent risk and protective behaviors.

HT: Are you making any predictions as to the findings of this study?
DH: This study is exploratory and qualitative; as such, we are trying to gain insights and deeper meanings, rather than test hypotheses. Nonetheless, the prediction is that religiosity and spirituality will operate through direct and indirect pathways to shape and reinforce teen behaviors.

HT: For the purpose of this study, how are you defining healthy and harmful relationships?
DH: In this study we are not imposing any particular definition of either healthy or unhealthy dating relationships on the participants but rather asking them to define these terms for us, explain their meaning and discuss how they developed their ideas of what is a healthy and harmful dating relationship. We will compare what participants say to qualities and characteristics developed by the CDC. The CDC have identified 12 qualities of healthy dating relationships. They include:

1. Mutual respect
2. Trust
3. Honesty
4. Compromise
5. Individuality
6. Good communication
7. Anger control
8. Problem solving
9. Fighting fair
10. Understanding
11. Self-confidence
12. Being a role model

DH: CDC has also developed a set of warning signs for what could be an unhealthy and abusive relationship:

* Bruises, scratches, or other injuries
* Failing grades
* Dropping out of school activities
* Avoiding friends and social events
* Indecision
* Changes in clothes or make-up
* Changes in eating or sleeping habits
* Secrecy
* Avoiding eye contact
* Crying spells or hysteria fits
* Constant thoughts about the dating partner
* Alcohol or drug use
* Anxiety and depression
* Sudden changes in mood or personality
* Fearfulness around the dating partner or when his or her name is mentioned

Warning signs of an abusive person:
* Wants to get serious in the relationship quickly
* Will not take no for an answer
* Is jealous and possessive
* Makes all the decisions
* Dismisses other people's opinions and feelings
* Wants to control a person's friends and activities
* Puts constant pressure on someone
* Demands to know where someone is all the time
* Uses guilt trips - "If you really loved me, you would..."
* Feels that he or she deserves unconditional love and support
* Has a history of bad relationships
* Blames the person for his or her feelings and actions - "You asked for it" or "You made me mad"
* Apologizes for violent behavior and promises not to do it again

For more information on healthy relationships, visit the CDC Web site. To read more about the grant, visit here.