Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Race scholars have long viewed intergroup romantic relationships as barometers for racial equality. Although formal barriers to these relationships have eroded over time and racial attitudes have become increasingly liberal, interracial unions remain infrequent. This infrequency may be partially explained by the informal social sanctions leveled at interracial romances during the formative adolescent years. To examine this possibility, the current project tests whether adolescent interracial dating increases the risk of violent victimization and peer and parent difficulties. Results demonstrate that a strong relationship exists between interracial dating and negative social encounters. These relationships persist after controlling for a host of theoretically relevant covariates and addressing issues of state dependence. In addition, school racial compositions and individuals’ friendship network characteristics fail to attenuate or moderate the relationship between interracial dating and problematic social encounters. The implications of these results for future intermarriage rates and public policy are discussed.