Relational transgressions

Relational transgressions occur when people violate implicit or explicit relational rules. These transgressions include a wide variety of behaviors.

Scholars tend to delineate relational transgressions into three categories or approaches.

The first approach focuses on the aspect of certain behaviors as a violation of relational norms and rules.

The second approach focuses on the interpretive consequences of certain behaviors, particularly the degree to which they hurt the victim, imply disregard for the victim, and imply disregard for the relationship.

The third and final approach focuses more specifically on behaviors that constitute infidelity (a common form of relational transgression).

The boundaries of relational transgressions are permeable. Betrayal for example, is often used as a synonym for a relational transgression. In some instances, betrayal can be defined as a rule violation that is traumatic to a relationship, and in other instances as destructive conflict or reference to infidelity. Common forms of relational transgressions include the following: having sex with someone else, wanting to or actually dating others, deceiving one's partner about something significant, flirting with or kissing someone else, keeping secrets from your partner, becoming emotionally involved with someone else, and betraying the partner's confidence.

Rule violations are events, actions, and behaviors that violate an implicit or explicit relationship norm or rule. Explicit rules tend to be relationship specific, such as those prompted by the bad habits of a partner (e.g., excessive drinking or drug abuse), or those that emerge from attempts to manage conflict (e.g., rules that prohibit spending time with a former spouse or talking about a former girlfriend or boyfriend). Implicit rules tend to be those that are accepted as cultural standards for proper relationship conduct (e.g., monogamy and secrets kept private). The focus on relational transgressions as rule violations presents an opportunity to examine a wide range of behaviors across a variety of relationship types. This method facilitates analysis of transgressions from a rules perspective. In a study of college students' relational transgressions, the following nine categories emerged consistently.

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