The Role of School Social Support and School Social Climate in Dating Violence Victimization Prevention among Adolescents in Europe.

Barbara Jankowiak,Carmen Rodríguez-Blázquez,María Davó-Blanes,Nicola Bowes,Katarzyna Waszyńska,Alba Ayala,Joana Topa,Carmen Vives-Cases,Veronica Mocanu,María Cinque,Sylwia Jaskulska,Beatrice Ioan,Karen De Claire,Nicoletta Rosati,Sofia Neves,Belén Sanz-Barbero,Iwona Chmura-Rutkowska,Jacek Pyżalski

doi:10.3390/ijerph17238935

Abstract

The aim of the article is to show the role of school social support and school social climate in dating violence victimization prevention among adolescents in Europe. Study participants were students from secondary schools (age 13–16) in Spain, Italy, Romania, Portugal, Poland and UK. The analysis in this text concern student with dating experience (n = 993) (57.2% of girls and 66.5% of boys). School social support was measured by School Social Climate, Factor 1 Scale (CECSCE) and by Student Social Support Scale (CASSS), subscales teachers and classmates. The association between school social support and different types of dating victimization (physical and/or sexual dating violence, control dating violence and fear) was measured by calculating the prevalence ratios and their 95% confidence intervals, estimated by Poisson regression models with robust variance. All the models were adjusted by country and by sociodemographic variables. The results show that the average values of all types of social support are significantly lower in young people who have suffered any type of dating violence or were scared of their partner. The likelihood of suffering physical and/or sexual dating violence decreased when school social support increased [PR (CI 95%): 0.96 (0.92; 0.99)]. In the same way, the likelihood of fear decreased when school social climate increased [PR (CI 95%): 0.98 (0.96; 0.99)].There is an association between school social support and school social climate and experiences of being victim of dating violence among adolescents in Europe. Our results suggest that in the prevention of dating violence building a supportive climate at schools and building/using the support of peers and teachers is important.

Highlights

Dating violence is defined as commission of violence by one or more members of a couple on another member in the context of dating [1]
This study explores the relationship between school climate, school social support and exposure to dating violence
We considered two predictor variables collected by the Student Social Support Scale (CASSS), subscales teachers and classmates and by the School Social Climate, Factor 1 (CECSCE)

Summary

Introduction

Dating violence is defined as commission of violence by one or more members of a couple on another member in the context of dating [1]. According to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention dating violence is defined as physical and/or psychological aggression included in the relationship as well as stalking. It may appear in direct contact or the contact via electronic devices, between current or ex partners [2]. Physical violence includes actions which may lead to injuring the victim (beating, pushing, strangling, shaking, jerking, hitting, using weapon). Emotional violence (frequently referred to as psychological violence) includes the behaviours which cause emotional damage, trauma or fear; these are e.g., threatening with physical violence, controlling the victim’s behaviour, discrediting and intimidating the victim, isolating the victim from family and friends, damaging the victim’s possessions. Stalking regards to harassment that causes the victim the feeling of fear [3,4]

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