Nuria Rodriguez-Planas

The effect of school peers on intimate partner violence: Evidence from peers’ genetic predisposition to alcohol consumption

Using quasi-random variation in peer composition across grades within schools and
genetic measures from the Add Health study, we analyze how high school peers’ genetic
predisposition to alcohol consumption impacts women’s risk of intimate partner violence
(IPV) victimization in early adulthood. We find that a one standard deviation increase in
peers’ average genetic predisposition to alcohol consumption raises females’ probability
of being victimized by their partner by 4.5 percentage points, about three-fifths of the size
(in absolute value) of the effect induced by a one standard deviation increase in parental
socio-economic status. This effect operates primarily through social network formation.
While exposure to peers with a high genetic predisposition to alcohol use does not influence
the victims’ own drinking or risk-taking behaviors, it increases their likelihood of
forming friendships with other females who binge drink. Notably, the influence of high
school peer exposure on victimization diminishes by later adulthood. These findings illuminate
how peer environments in adolescence can shape vulnerability to IPV through
social network formation, though the effects appear time-limited.