Relationship Characteristics Associated with Teen Dating Violence Perpetration

Longitudinal Trajectories of Physical Teen Dating Perpetration and Trait Anger Expression: A Group-Based Trajectory Approach

Dating violence is often perpetrated among adolescents, which increases the efforts to better understand individual risk factors for preventive efforts. Although multiple forms (i.e., physical and psychological) often coexist, few studies have studied the chronicity and developmental classes of physical teen dating violence and examined whether subtypes of trait anger predict teen dating perpetration over time. Thus, the purpose of the current study is to investigate: (a) the developmental group-based patterns of physical teen dating violence; and (b) whether subtypes of trait anger expression predict association in these classes using the Bullying, Sexual, and Dating Violence Trajectories from Early to Late Adolescence in the Midwestern United States, 2007 to 2013 dataset. Group-based trajectory modeling results identified four classes of teen dating violence perpetration (e.g., Accelerating, Abstaining, Desisting, and High Chronic). Multinomial logistic regression results indicated that expressing anger outwardly was positively associated with Desisting and High Chronic patterns, but not Accelerating patterns. These results suggest that there are four classes of teen dating violence perpetration and underscore the effects of expression of trait anger as a risk factor of teen dating violence perpetration. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

But He Loves Me: Teens' Comments about Healthy and Unhealthy Romantic Relationships

Romantic relationships can positively affect adolescent development. However, adolescents may not always have a clear understanding of what healthy dating looks like, which may place some adolescents at risk for dating violence. The present study examined the following research questions: (1) What are adolescents' perceptions of healthy and unhealthy attributes of romantic relationships? (2) How do adolescents perceive jealousy and potentially controlling behaviors? (3) What is the relationship between adolescents' attitudes towards jealousy and controlling behaviors and their willingness to intervene in a peer's unhealthy romantic relationship? The study included a predominantly female, ethnically diverse sample of 72 adolescents (M = 17.5 years) who participated in an internet-based health promotion intervention that allowed peers and health educators to interact. Adolescents commented on message boards and completed a survey. Findings showed that adolescents can articulate both healthy and unhealthy romantic relationship attributes. Some adolescents struggled to understand relationship attributes including jealousy and possessiveness, as these behaviors can be perceived as expressions of strong romantic interest. Adolescents may benefit from programs that strengthen healthy dating behaviors, teach youth to distinguish healthy from unhealthy behaviors, address conflict in respectful ways, and tactfully intervene when they witness abusive behaviors in the relationships of others.

Relationship Dynamics and Abusive Interactions in a National Sample of Youth and Young Adults

Stemming intimate partner violence among adults demands earlier education and skill-building supportive of healthy youth and young adult dating relationships. The current U.S.-based study examines a spectrum of youth and young adult relationship dynamics (RDs), inclusive of abusive interactions. In a nationally representative cohort of youth aged 10-18 at baseline and one parent or caregiver, survey responses regarding RDs from 618 participants ages 15-23 at wave 5 follow-up were analyzed. Latent class analysis of four positive dynamics, six problematic dynamics, and three scales of adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) were estimated, yielding four latent profiles of dating RDs. Relationships characterized by Unhealthy and Intense RDs both exhibited high probability of ARA but differed from each other in terms of other positive and problematic dynamics. Relationships characterized by Disengaged RDs had lower probability of ARA but elevated probability of awkward communications, negative feelings, social liability, and other challenging dynamics. Several baseline covariates were significantly associated with profiles of dating RDs approximately 5 years later. Younger participants were more likely to subsequently fall in an Intense or Disengaged RDs profile, as were participants with baseline emotional health problems. Further, classification in the Unhealthy RDs profile was less likely for participants reporting a better baseline relationship with their parents and more likely for those exposed to violence in childhood. These findings suggest that in addition to developmental maturity, youth and young adults would benefit from closer investigation and processing of past emotional and relational issues and traumas to foster healthier dating relationships.

Violence among adolescents: A study of overlapping of bullying, cyberbullying, sexual harassment, dating violence and cyberdating violence

BACKGROUND

Face-to-face and virtual violence among adolescents could lead to polyvictimisation and polyaggression. More studies are needed to simultaneously analyse various types of violence to understand the extent of involvement in violence during adolescence.

OBJECTIVE

This study explores the overlap of bullying, cyberbullying, sexual harassment, dating violence, and cyber dating violence, considering dating experience, gender, and stage of adolescence.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

This study involved 2514 Spanish middle school students (49.8 % girls) aged 11-19 years (M = 13.97, SD = 1.40).

METHODS

The design of this study was cross-sectional. Data were collected through a survey.

RESULTS

Among adolescents with no dating experience, 39.7 % were not victims, and 55.9 % were not aggressors. By contrast, among adolescents with dating experience, 7.1 % were not victims, and 10.5 % were not aggressors. Gender differences in poly-involvement were found between adolescents with and without dating experience. Girls were significantly less involved than boys as polyvictims and polyaggressors when they had no dating experience. They were significantly more involved than boys as polyvictims (9.7 %) and polyaggressors (23.9 %) in dating violence and cyber dating violence when they had dating experience. Age differences in poly-involvement were found only in adolescents with dating experience. Adolescents were more polyinvolved late than early adolescence, especially in dating violence, sexual harassment, and cyber dating violence as polyvictims (22.8 %) and polyaggressors (26.7 %).

CONCLUSIONS

Experiences of poly-involvement are diverse according to dating experience, gender, and stage of adolescence. More comprehensive peer and dating violence prevention strategies need to be designed.

Relationship Factors Associated With Early Adolescent Dating Violence Victimization and Perpetration Among Latinx Youth in an Agricultural Community

Latinx early adolescents within the United States are particularly vulnerable to dating violence; yet, little research has examined early dating experiences and violence outside large urban settings. Latinxs, in particular, may experience a unique window of opportunity for dating violence (DV) prevention during early adolescence, based on their trends in risk behavior over the adolescent period. This study extends the current research on dating violence by examining a highly understudied population, Latinx early adolescent girls and boys residing in an agricultural community, by assessing victimization and perpetration, and examining interpersonal-level factors as potential risk and protective factors for violence. Using data from a prospective cohort study of Latinx adolescents with relationship experience (past six months) (N = 296; girls: n = 147; boys: n = 149; mean age: 13.8), we assessed the association between dating relationship characteristics and dating violence victimization and perpetration using modified-Poisson regression models with robust standard errors stratified by gender. In multivariable analyses, we found that girls with gang-affiliated partners, partner-related withdrawal from friends, and girls who had used drugs or alcohol with a partner experienced greater risk for dating violence. Additionally, holding beliefs supportive of female sexual naivete and engaging in and communicating about sexual activity were associated with victimization among girls. No significant associations were found among boys. Findings affirm the need for multilevel DV prevention programming that starts in middle school and addresses social isolation, gang exposure, and traditional Latinx gender-norm beliefs regarding marianismo. These findings underscore the imperative to coordinate dating and gang violence prevention efforts by addressing common co-occurring interpersonal and environmental risk factors, including social isolation and culturally-specific traditional beliefs. Such factors could also assist providers, families, and peers in early identification of Latinx early adolescents at risk for DV, especially in rural contexts where resources are often limited.

The role of moral neutralization of aggression and justification of violence against women in predicting physical teen dating violence perpetration and monitoring among adolescents in Switzerland

Although dating violence poses a serious threat to adolescents' health and well-being around the globe, little evidence is available for Europe in general and Switzerland in particular. Also, evidence on the role of cognitive predictors related to a more general justification of aggressive behavior and gender-based violence is lacking. Therefore, this two-wave longitudinal study conducted with Swiss adolescents (N = 646) examined moral neutralization of aggression and justification of violence against women as predictors of physical dating violence perpetration and monitoring. As expected, higher moral neutralization of aggression predicted a higher likelihood of perpetrating physical dating violence and monitoring among both female and male adolescents. Justification of violence against women was positively associated with physical dating violence perpetration among males, but negatively among females. Also, a negative relationship was found with monitoring among females. The role of gender and implications of these findings for research, practice, and policy are discussed.

Weighing Risk Factors for Adolescent Victimization in the Context of Romantic Relationship Initiation

Research has paid little attention to the link between the characteristics of the relational context where adolescents are likely to initiate their romantic relationships and teen dating violence (TDV). Hence, the findings are still scattered. This study examined different risks in the female teenagers' relational context (peer group characteristics, participants' risky activities, and pressure to start dating) and their TDV victimization, which had not been previously studied in the Spanish population. The moderating role of parental monitoring strategies was also analyzed. Participants were 1,248 Spanish female teenagers who completed measures of the aforementioned factors. Highly victimized girls reported having more deviant and older male peers, receiving more pressure to start dating, and using more alcohol and drugs than participants with low victimization did. High parental monitoring was only effective to prevent TDV victimization in low-risk relational contexts. The findings extend prior research by providing evidence of the risk of pressure to start dating and low effectiveness of parental monitoring against high-risk peers. They also highlight the need to reduce specific risks of TDV in the adolescent relational context.

Risk Markers for Physical Teen Dating Violence Perpetration: A Meta-Analysis

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a common problem among adolescents and has been linked to various negative outcomes. This study used Dutton's nested ecological theory to examine risk markers for physical TDV perpetration and examine whether there are significant differences in the strength of risk markers between male and female adolescents. This meta-analysis included 37 studies yielding 126 unique effect sizes for risk markers for physical TDV perpetration in samples from the United States. In the microsystem level, a total of 14 risk markers were examined and in the ontogenetic level, 12 risk markers were examined. Our results revealed that, in the microsystem, physical TDV victimization was the strongest risk marker for physical TDV perpetration. On the ontogenetic level, externalizing behaviors, approval of violence, risky sexual behaviors, alcohol use, depression, and delinquency were the strongest risk markers for TDV perpetration. Conflict resolution skills and responsibility were protective markers against TDV perpetration. When comparing the strength of risk markers between males and females, we found that undifferentiated TDV perpetration and depression were significantly stronger risk markers for female perpetration than male perpetration. We also found that exhibiting controlling behaviors was a significantly stronger risk marker for male TDV perpetration than female TDV perpetration. These findings highlight the importance of the microsystem, specifically the dating relationship itself, when identifying adolescents at risk for TDV perpetration.

Romantic Relationship Characteristics and Adolescent Relationship Abuse in a Probability-Based Sample of Youth

This study examines the longitudinal association between baseline adolescent romantic relationship characteristics and later adolescent relationship abuse (ARA). Data are from the first two waves of the National Survey on Teen Relationships and Intimate Violence (STRiV). Girls and boys ages 10 to 18 were recruited randomly from the children of adults participating in a larger national household probability sample panel. About three quarters of the sample identified as White, non-Hispanic. Controlling behavior by a romantic partner consistently predicted later ARA. Higher levels of controlling behavior in the relationship was associated with higher rates of sexual and/or physical ARA victimization and higher rates for similar acts of perpetration. More controlling behavior by the partner was also associated with higher rates of psychological ARA victimization (and higher rates for psychological ARA perpetration). Our results suggest that ARA prevention programs should have explicit discussions of the deleterious effects of controlling behavior with adolescents. Respondents reporting higher feelings of passionate love were also at higher risk of experiencing sexual and/or physical ARA victimization. This finding will need to be considered by clinicians and prevention specialist in their work with youth as a potential risk marker for ARA. Baseline reports of at least one form of ARA were predictive of 1-year follow-up rates of ARA in all of our models, underscoring a long line of research that past aggressive or violent behavior is one of the strongest predictors of current aggressive or violent behavior. We also observed that female respondents were twice as likely to be perpetrators of physical and/or sexual ARA as male respondents. Prevention messaging often is focused on girls as ARA victims and our results imply that messaging should also be directed toward girls as perpetrators.

Physical and Sexual Teen Dating Violence Victimization and Sexual Identity Among U.S. High School Students, 2015

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth are at risk for many negative behaviors associated with teen dating violence victimization (TDVV). This study describes the prevalence of physical and sexual TDVV by sexual identity and quantifies the increased risk for TDVV among LGB youth compared with heterosexual youth. The participants for this study were students in Grades 9 to 12 participating in the 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) who responded to questions ascertaining sexual identity and both physical and sexual TDVV. Data were analyzed by sexual identity, stratified by sex, and controlled for race/ethnicity and grade in school. Frequencies of physical and sexual TDVV and prevalence of TDVV from a combined TDVV measure were calculated. Associations between these behaviors and sexual identity were identified. Generally, LGB youth had greater prevalence and frequency of TDVV compared with heterosexual youth. Prevalence of TDVV within sexual identity subgroups further differed by sex. Students who were not sure of their sexual identity had the highest risk of most categories of TDVV when adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, and grade in school. These results are the first to use a nationally representative sample to describe frequency of TDVV and to determine prevalence of a combined physical and sexual TDVV measure by sexual identity among youth. Schools, communities, and families can help prevent teen dating violence and ameliorate the potential impacts of these victimizations.

Impulsivity and Empathy in Dating Violence among a Sample of College Females

The predictive factors of violence between married couples or adolescents are well-known. However, less is known about the factors relating to intimate violence among college students. This study examined sociodemographic variables (age, duration of relationship, and relationship satisfaction), impulsivity, and empathy as predictors of dating violence, using data from 474 female college students from the University of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The sample completed online the Conflict Tactics Scale 2 Short Form, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and the Short Impulsive Behavior Scale. The results indicated a higher prevalence of victimization than perpetration for psychological aggression. The obtained data showed that younger women and those in longer relationships, as well as those unsatisfied with their relationship, are more prone to experience psychological victimization or perpetration. Relationship satisfaction was also shown to be a predictor of physical perpetration causing injury. Impulsivity facets were found to have a differential weight in explaining dating violence. Empathy was shown to be a significant predictor of dating victimization, specifically "perspective taking" for psychological victimization and empathic concern for sexual victimization. These results suggest the need to develop specific interventions and prevention programs focused on relationship satisfaction, impulsivity, and empathy.

Sexual Teen Dating Violence Victimization: Associations With Sexual Risk Behaviors Among U.S. High School Students

Adolescent dating violence may lead to adverse health behaviors. We examined associations between sexual teen dating violence victimization (TDVV) and sexual risk behaviors among U.S. high school students using 2013 and 2015 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey data (combined n = 29,346). Sex-stratified logistic regression models were used to estimate these associations among students who had dated or gone out with someone during the past 12 months (n = 20,093). Among these students, 10.5% experienced sexual TDVV. Sexual TDVV was positively associated with sexual intercourse before age 13, four or more lifetime sexual partners, current sexual activity, alcohol or drug use before last sexual intercourse, and no pregnancy prevention during last sexual intercourse. Given significant findings among both sexes, it is valuable for dating violence prevention efforts to target both female and male students.