Maria Chavez

With great anticipation, the 2015 Washington state legislative 105-day long session convened Monday January 12 to address a number of legislative issues left on the table at the end of the 2014 legislative session. These issues include amendments to the recreational marijuana statute enacted in 2012, oil-transport via rail, minimum-wage, loss of the No Child Left Behind waiver, and gasoline-tax increases for enhancements to the state’s transportation infrastructure. The provisions of the Washington State Constitution outlining the “paramount duty” to amply provide for the basic education of youth remained the virtual elephant in the room, casting a giant shadow over all budget bills.

ObjectiveIntimate partner violence has been related to emotional dependence and addictive disorders. This study aims to provide a global approach to analyse the relationship between these variables and to determine the factors underlying permanence in violent relationships.MethodsIt is a non-experimental, cross-sectional correlational design study. Participants had to have at least one dating relationship for at least 1 month to complete the questionnaire, which included the following instruments: emotional dependence scale, scale of violence in dating relationships and impulse control disorders scale.ResultsThe sample consisted of 1.533 adolescents, 53.9% were male and 46.1% female, between 14 and 18 years. Emotional dependence correlated significantly with received violence. Compulsive spending is strongly associated with emotional dependence, whereas sex addiction is associated with received violence to a greater extent. Received violence mediates on emotional dependence and addictions.ConclusionIPV is a risk factor for the perpetuation of addictive behaviours. It is advisable to promote affective education for developing resilience and adequate coping.