Given the complexities of conducting longitudinal research, little is known about patterns of intimate partner violence (IPV) and how they develop over time. Temporal knowledge of IPV is valuable, as it can help identify periods of greater risk in relationships towards which interventions can be targeted. Researchers know that violence does not come out of nowhere – multiple studies have shown that there are both proximal and distal circumstances that lead to incidents of violence (Bell et al., 2008; Babcock, Costa et al., 2004; Byun, 2012; Bjørkly, 2003; Finneran & Stephenson, 2014). However, within IPV research, participants are often newlywed, married, separated/divorced, or dating. No research has ever explored the earliest stages of a relationship (i.e., from the onset of dating), except in hindsight (e.g., Lang, 2011) and even that research is highly limited. This means that a key stage of the relationship experience is missing from IPV research. Additionally, most IPV research focuses on the broad construct of IPV (occasionally broken into varying levels of severity; Goldstein, Cantos, Brenner, Verborg, & Kosson, 2016), rather than individual abusive behaviors. We know that violence is predictive of violence (Babcock, Costa et al., 2004; Capaldi, Shortt, & Crosby, 2003; Katerndahl, Ferrer, Burge, Becho, & Wood, 2010; Murphy & O’Leary, 1989; O’Leary, 1999; O’Leary & Smith Slep, 2003), but whether certain behaviors are more predictive than others is unclear. Further, as early stages of relationships have not been studied within the context of IPV, when and which violent behaviors first occur is unknown. The ultimate goal of this series of studies is to determine whether warning signs of violence are indeed predictive of violence. However, as we are unsure when violence first occurs within relationships, let alone warning signs, the present study seeks to establish a rough timeline of abusive and non-abusive behaviors in early romantic relationships. Once this timeline is established, Study 3 will recruit participants at an optimal time for capturing both warning signs and experiences of violence over a six-month period. For example, if potential warning signs of abuse begin to occur around the third month of exclusive relationships, individuals dating for approximately three months will be targeted for participation in later research.