This fascinating volume focuses on courtship, paying particular attention to the differences between relationship and courtship development and deterioration. The authors describe factors that affect the later course of marriage, trace historical roots of courtship, discuss models of courtship that have guided research in this area and examine circumstantial factors that discriminate between stable and unstable premarital relationships. They also explore the `dark side' of courtship - violence between dating partners - and reveal the processes involved in the dissolution phase of premarital relationships. The volume concludes with a look at the future of courtship as an institution and suggestions for further research.