Psychological Dating Violence Victimization Research Articles

The Impact of Teen Dating Violence and Violent Attitudes on Mental Health Among Bisexual Youth

The present study investigated the prevalence of dating violence and mental health symptoms among bisexual youth. Participants completed surveys that measured three types (physical, psychological, and sexual) of dating violence and three types of mental health symptoms (depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and conduct disorder). Correlations revealed positive associations between sexual, physical, and psychological dating violence victimization among bisexual adolescents. Multiple regressions identified a connection between violent beliefs about a partner and experiencing violence with negative mental health symptoms. The results of the present study indicate that for bisexual teenagers who encountered dating violence, engaging in controlling behaviors and justifying violence against both boys and girls are notable indicators of adverse mental health outcomes. Mental health practitioners should be aware of the possible mental health symptoms among bisexual dating violence victims.

Unraveling the Links among Witnessing Interparental Conflict, Hopelessness, Psychological Dating Violence Victimization, and Adult Depressive Symptoms.

Witnessing interparental conflict in childhood predicts psychological dating violence victimization (PDVV) in adulthood. As found in previous studies, PDVV and hopelessness are associated with depression. However, the associations among these four variables have not been explored in detail. The present study, therefore, examined the association between perceived interparental conflict and depression in adulthood and whether PDVV and hopelessness might operate as sequential mechanisms accounting for the association. Participants (N = 283; Mage = 23.37 years, SD = 4.04 years) in romantic relationships completed measures of perceived interparental conflict, PDVV, hopelessness, and depression. The perceived interparental conflict was related to PDVV and depression but not to hopelessness in adulthood. Moreover, the association between witnessing interparental conflict and depression was serially mediated via PDVV and hopelessness. The results are discussed in regard to previous research, and their implications for future research are presented.

Suicidal ideation and psychological dating violence victimization-A short report.

As the second leading cause of death among Americans aged 10 to 34, suicide is a serious public health concern. One potential predictor of suicidality is dating violence (DV) victimization, such as any physical, psychological, or sexual abuse by a current or former intimate partner. However, little longitudinal data exists on the relationship between suicidal ideation and DV. To address this gap in knowledge, we leverage data from two years of our longitudinal study Dating It Safe. Specifically, we examine whether physical and psychological DV victimization is associated with subsequent suicidal ideation in our ethnically diverse sample of young adults (n = 678; mean age = 25 at Wave 9; 63.6% female). While physical DV victimization was not linked to suicidal ideation over time, psychological DV victimization was (χ2 = 7.28, p = 0.007 for females; χ2 = 4.87, p = 0.027 for males). That psychological abuse was potentially as or more impactful than physical violence is consistent with the broader literature on the deleterious impacts of psychological violence, as well as the limited longitudinal literature looking at DV and suicidality specifically. These findings reinforce the notion that psychological abuse is as consequential as physical violence in the long-term, has unique impacts on mental health, and points to the need for both suicide and violence intervention programs to address this form of dating violence victimization.

Grade-level differences of peer and dating victimization among transgender, gender expansive, female, and male adolescents

A staggering number of adolescents in the United States report victimization within peer contexts (e.g., physical, verbal, or cyber forms of bullying) and dating relationships (e.g., physical, or psychological abuse from dating partners). However, little research has examined grade-level differences in forms of victimization by gender, inclusive of transgender and gender expansive adolescents. Eighth to twelfth graders (N = 4,464; n = 1,116 per gender identity) from a statewide survey were compared by gender identity and grade on self-reported rates of verbal, physical, and cyber peer victimization, as well as physical and psychological dating violence victimization. A log-binomial regression model was conducted to assess the prevalence ratio of peer and dating violence victimization by grade, and by comparing transgender and gender expansive youth to male and female youth. Across grade levels, transgender and gender expansive youth reported higher levels of victimization compared to male and female youth in those grades. Our results demonstrate that gender minority youth report rates of victimization across adolescence that differ from their male and female peers. This research is critical for moving beyond the gender binary to have more gender responsive and developmental approaches to violence prevention efforts.

Relationships Among Romantic Myths, Tolerant Attitudes Toward Abuse, and Teen Dating Violence Victimization: The Moderator Role of Gender

The aim of this study was to analyze the direct and indirect relationships between romantic myths of love and teen dating violence victimization (physical and psychological), considering the mediating role of tolerant attitudes toward abuse and the moderator role of gender. A sample of 467 adolescents who had a dating relationship at that time or in the previous 12 months (45.6% boys, Mage = 15.09, SDage = 1.46) participated. Results showed that tolerant attitudes toward abuse was a significant mediating variable in the relationship between romantic myths and psychological dating violence victimization only in adolescent girls. Psychological dating violence victimization was also a mediating variable in the relationship between tolerant attitudes and physical dating violence victimization in adolescent girls. These findings highlight the relevance of tolerant attitudes toward abuse in understanding teen dating violence victimization, especially in adolescent girls, and the need to include these attitudes in prevention programs.

Risk Factors for Sexual Revictimization and Dating Violence in Young Adults with a History of Child Sexual Abuse.

Interpersonal revictimization, through sexual violence and psychological or physical dating violence, is one of the many consequences of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). This study examined how childhood maltreatment, sociodemographic characteristics, mental health, relational factors, and community factors are associated with 1) sexual revictimization 2) psychological dating violence victimization, and 3) physical dating violence victimization in a sample of young adults reporting a history of CSA. A sample of 190 young adults (18-25 y.o.) with self-reported experiences of CSA completed an online survey measuring childhood maltreatment (e.g. neglect, physical abuse, witness to domestic violence), sociodemographic characteristics (e.g. material deprivation, education), mental health (dissociation, posttraumatic stress symptoms), relational factors (e.g. insecure attachment style), and community factors (e.g. neighborhood disadvantage). Hierarchical logistic regressions indicated that once all risk factors were entered in the models, PTSD was positively associated with psychological dating violence, while dissociation was positively associated with physical dating violence. Physical abuse in childhood was positively associated with sexual revictimization. The present study shows the importance of simultaneously considering the impact of multiple characteristics surrounding CSA survivors when evaluating risks of revictimization. Additionally, it highlights the importance of providing CSA survivors with adequate mental health support for trauma-related disorders, as it may be crucial to prevent revictimization.

Risk Markers for Male Perpetration of Sexual Assault on College Campuses: A Meta-Analysis

Sexual assault (SA) on college campuses remains a prominent public health issue. This meta-analysis focuses on identifying all potential risk markers for college male SA perpetration. Using standard search procedures, a total of 25 studies yielding 89 unique effect sizes were included in the study. Significant risk markers were related to hegemonic masculinity (e.g., peer approval of SA, rape myth acceptance, sexist beliefs, hostility towards women), other forms of dating violence perpetration (e.g., physical and psychological dating violence perpetration), and the college party culture (e.g., binge drinking, alcohol and substance use, frequency of hook-ups). Psychological dating violence victimization, athletic team membership, race/ethnicity, relationship status, and religiosity were not significant risk markers for SA perpetration. Findings support potential benefits of SA prevention efforts prioritizing peer education/student leaders modeling SA disapproval, challenging hegemonic masculinity, healthy relationship and sexual education, as well as alcohol and substance use awareness.

Feeling Guilt and Shame Upon Psychological Dating Violence Victimization in College Women: The Further Role of Sexism.

Dating violence is manifested in different forms between romantic partners. Psychological violence, the most common form of dating violence, is more likely to affect women, eliciting feelings such as shame and guilt. The robust relationship of sexism to psychological dating violence victimization (PDVV) is well-documented but whether PDVV serves as a mechanism linking sexism to guilt and shame remains unexplored. This study, therefore, investigated the potential mediating role of PDVV in the association between sexist attitudes and feelings of guilt and shame. Dating college women (N = 219) from Turkey, an honor culture in which one's self-worth lies on one's evaluation as well as the assessment of what others think, participated in the study. High rates of PDVV were found in this culture, and structural equation modeling revealed that PDVV mediated the relationship between sexism and feelings of guilt and shame. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for future research and how sexist attitudes might be challenged to reduce the adverse emotional effects experienced by women who are victims of psychological dating violence.

Bystander Intervention Efficacy to Reduce Teen Dating Violence Among High School Youth Who Did and Did Not Witness Parental Partner Violence: A Path Analysis of A Cluster RCT

Youth who witness parental intimate partner violence (IPV) are at increased risk of teen dating violence (DV). This analysis of secondary data investigated whether a bystander intervention program, Green Dot, was effective at reducing physical and psychological DV victimization and perpetration among youth who had and had not previously witnessed parental IPV. The parent RCT assigned 13 schools to control and 13 schools to the Green Dot intervention. Responses from 71,797 individual surveys that were completed by high school students were analyzed across three phases of a 5-year cluster randomized control trial. Multigroup path analyses revealed that students in intervention schools who witnessed parental IPV had a reduction in psychological (p < .001) and physical DV (p < .01) perpetration and psychological DV victimization (p < .01) in Phase 2 of the intervention, while those who did not witness parental IPV had a significant reduction in psychological DV victimization (p < .01). Individuals in the intervention received more training (p < .001), which was associated with lower levels of violence acceptance (p < .001). Violence acceptance was positively associated with DV victimization and perpetration (p < .001), especially for individuals who previously witnessed parental IPV. Green Dot is an effective program at reducing DV victimization and perpetration among the high-risk group of youth who previously witnessed parental IPV, largely operating through violence acceptance norms. This underscores the bystander intervention approach as both a targeted and universal prevention program.

Interpersonal Victimization of Latino Youth: a Latent Class Analysis

This study identifies latent classes of interpersonal victimization among Latino youth using a national sample and then compares these latent classes on demographic characteristics, mental health (depression, anxiety, and hostility), and delinquency. We used data from the Dating Violence Among Latino Adolescents (DAVILA) study that surveyed 1525 Latino teens and their caregivers across the USA, by phone, from September 2011 to February 2012. Participants completed modified versions of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire and the Conflict Tactics Scales 2- Short Form. Latent class analysis examined victimization types and relationship to perpetrators. We compared latent classes on demographics, mental health, and delinquency via multinomial logistic regression. A six-class solution was found. The six classes were Multiform Victimization by Multiple Perpetrators (n = 184, 12.1%), Psychological Dating Violence Victimization (n = 99, 6.5%), Psychological Victimization by Peers (n = 236, 15.5%), Physical Victimization by Peers (n = 127, 8.3%), Physical Violence Victimization by Juvenile Family Members (n = 93, 6.1%) and Uninvolved (n = 786; 51.5%). Classes differed on some demographic variables, hostility scores, and the rate of delinquency. Our findings provide further evidence regarding the heterogeneity of victimization experiences among Latino youth. LCA results also suggest that victimization occurs across a range of perpetrators, both inside and outside of the home. Hostility and delinquency were central to differentiating the classes, indicating their relevance among poly-victimized Latino youth. This analysis provides further understanding of the various ways Latino youth experience victimization and what factors may differentiate the various groupings of victimization profiles.

Bidirectional Relations Between Dating Violence Victimization and Substance Use in a Diverse Sample of Early Adolescents.

Substance use and dating violence victimization are common in adolescence and represent significant public health concerns. Although theoretical accounts suggest a bidirectional association between substance use and victimization within dating relationships, this has not been tested during early adolescence. Thus, the current study examined bidirectional associations between physical and psychological dating violence victimization and substance use across 6 months among an ethnically diverse sample of early adolescents. Sex was also examined as a moderator. Participants included two cohorts of sixth graders from 37 schools who were in dating relationships in the last 3 months at Wave 1, in the fall of sixth grade, and 6 months later at Wave 2, in the spring of sixth grade (n = 2,022; 43% female; 55% Black, 17% Latino/a, 16% White, 9% as multiracial, and 3% as another race/ethnicity). Students reported on the frequency of dating violence in the past 3 months and substance use in the past 30 days. Multilevel models, with students at Level 1 and classes (i.e., clusters of students in the same cohort at the same school; n = 74) at Level 2, tested hypotheses that positive reciprocal relations between physical and psychological dating violence victimization and substance use would be found over time, and that relations would be stronger for girls than boys. Sex, race/ethnicity, and family structure variables were included as Level 1 covariates; intervention condition and neighborhood concentrated disadvantage were included as Level 2 covariates. Results showed that higher levels of physical dating violence victimization at Wave 1 predicted increased substance use at Wave 2. Higher levels of substance use at Wave 1 predicted increased physical and psychological dating violence victimization at Wave 2. Findings highlight the importance of prevention efforts for dating violence and substance use early in adolescence.

Drinking Motives as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Dating Violence Victimization and Alcohol Problems.

The present study sought to examine whether drinking motives (i.e., coping, social, conformity, and enhancement) moderated the relationship between physical, sexual, and psychological dating violence victimization and alcohol-related problems in a sample of drinking college women ( N = 177). Results demonstrated that coping and social drinking motives moderated the relationship between sexual victimization and alcohol problems; conformity, social, and enhancement drinking motives moderated the relationship between alcohol-related problems and physical victimization; no significant findings were evident for psychological aggression victimization. Our results partially support the self-medication model of alcohol use, and this may be particularly relevant to sexual victimization.

Multi-College Bystander Intervention Evaluation for Violence Prevention.

The 2013 Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act requires U.S. colleges to provide bystander-based training to reduce sexual violence, but little is known about the efficacy of such programs for preventing violent behavior. This study provides the first multiyear evaluation of a bystander intervention's campus-level impact on reducing interpersonal violence victimization and perpetration behavior on college campuses. First-year students attending three similarly sized public university campuses were randomly selected and invited to complete online surveys in the spring terms of 2010-2013. On one campus, the Green Dot bystander intervention was implemented in 2008 (Intervention, n=2,979) and two comparison campuses had no bystander programming at baseline (Comparison, n=4,132). Data analyses conducted in 2014-2015 compared violence rates by condition over the four survey periods. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate violence risk on Intervention relative to Comparison campuses, adjusting for demographic factors and time (2010-2013). Interpersonal violence victimization rates (measured in the past academic year) were 17% lower among students attending the Intervention (46.4%) relative to Comparison (55.7%) campuses (adjusted rate ratio=0.83; 95% CI=0.79, 0.88); a similar pattern held for interpersonal violence perpetration (25.5% in Intervention; 32.2% in Comparison; adjusted rate ratio=0.79; 95% CI=0.71, 0.86). Violence rates were lower on Intervention versus Comparison campuses for unwanted sexual victimization, sexual harassment, stalking, and psychological dating violence victimization and perpetration (p<0.01). Green Dot may be an efficacious intervention to reduce violence at the community level and meet Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act bystander training requirements.

Longitudinal Associations Between Teen Dating Violence Victimization and Adverse Health Outcomes

To determine the longitudinal association between teen dating violence victimization and selected adverse health outcomes. Secondary analysis of Waves 1 (1994-1995), 2 (1996), and 3 (2001-2002) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative sample of US high schools and middle schools. Participants were 5681 12- to 18-year-old adolescents who reported heterosexual dating experiences at Wave 2. These participants were followed-up ~5 years later (Wave 3) when they were aged 18 to 25. Physical and psychological dating violence victimization was assessed at Wave 2. Outcome measures were reported at Wave 3, and included depressive symptomatology, self-esteem, antisocial behaviors, sexual risk behaviors, extreme weight control behaviors, suicidal ideation and attempt, substance use (smoking, heavy episodic drinking, marijuana, other drugs), and adult intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization. Data were analyzed by using multivariate linear and logistic regression models. Compared with participants reporting no teen dating violence victimization at Wave 2, female participants experiencing victimization reported increased heavy episodic drinking, depressive symptomatology, suicidal ideation, smoking, and IPV victimization at Wave 3, whereas male participants experiencing victimization reported increased antisocial behaviors, suicidal ideation, marijuana use, and IPV victimization at Wave 3, controlling for sociodemographics, child maltreatment, and pubertal status. The results from the present analyses suggest that dating violence experienced during adolescence is related to adverse health outcomes in young adulthood. Findings from this study emphasize the importance of screening and offering secondary prevention programs to both male and female victims.

Psychological Dating Violence Perpetration and Victimization: Trajectories From Middle to High School

Despite evidence documenting the negative consequences, psychological dating violence occurs frequently in adolescent dating relationships. No information exists on the trajectories that adolescents follow and their association to nonphysical peer violence. The sample comprised 624 randomly selected 6th graders. In yearly surveys from 6th through 12th grade, 550 of the 624 students reported dating at least twice during the 3 months prior to completing the survey. These students responded to questions about frequency of engagement in psychological dating violence perpetration and victimization. We used Proc TRAJ to identify developmental trajectories of behavior over time and generalized estimating equation models to examine the associations of the trajectories and peer aggression. Adolescents followed three distinct developmental trajectories related to psychological dating violence victimization and perpetration: low, increasing, and high. Based on the joint probabilities of victimization and perpetration, we identified four predominant groups: low victimization/low perpetration (LVLP; 36%), increasing victimization/increasing perpetration (40%), high victimization/high perpetration (HVHP; 15%), and increasing victimization/low perpetration (IVLP; 7%). The LVLP had significantly more boys and White students; the HVHP group had an even gender distribution and more African-American students. For all groups, peer aggression decreased from Grade 6 to 12; students in the HVHP group reported the highest peer aggression, and students in the LVLP reported the lowest peer aggression. Findings suggest a strong, reciprocal relationship in the developmental trajectories of adolescents who experience and perpetrate psychological dating violence. Those highly engaged in these behaviors were also more likely to be violent toward peers.

Dating Violence Perpetration and/or Victimization and Associated Sexual Risk Behaviors Among a Sample of Inner-City African American and Hispanic Adolescent Females

The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of physical and psychological dating violence victimization and perpetration reported by inner-city African American and Hispanic adolescent girls as well as associated risky sexual behaviors among this population. Participants in this study were 10th- and 11th-grade female students from seven inner-city Chicago public high schools. Participants were administered with the Safe Dates measures of physical violence victimization, physical violence perpetration, psychological abuse victimization, and psychological perpetration. Approximately half of the sample reported some psychological dating violence victimization and perpetration, and approximately one third reported some physical victimization and perpetration. Hispanic adolescents were significantly more likely to report psychological victimization, whereas African American adolescents were significantly more likely to report physical dating violence perpetration. Victimization was found to predict perpetration in this population, and adolescents who acknowledged being both victims and perpetrators of dating violence were more likely to report having had vaginal sex and a higher number of past-year sexual partners. Inner-city African American and Hispanic adolescent girls may be particularly vulnerable to dating violence victimization and perpetration, which may be due to a number of other social factors not explored within this study. Furthermore, African American adolescent girls continue to engage in behaviors that increase their risk for negative health outcomes, predominantly STIs, highlighting the need for effective interventions with this population.

Dating Violence Victimization Among Asian American and Pacific Islander Youth in Hawai‘i

Recent studies reported high levels of adolescent dating violence, which led federal agencies to define this area as a public health issue. Most studies fail to include Asian American or Pacific Islander youth in ways that provide for accurate analysis. The present study examined verbal and psychological dating violence victimization prevalences among 2 Asian American (Filipino, Japanese) and 2 Pacific Islander (Native Hawaiian, Samoan) adolescent groups. The results showed 58.3% reported experiencing emotional dating violence, with 43.7% affirming that they experienced insulting/verbal abuse and 43.3% reporting that they were victims of controlling behaviors. No significant differences were found for victimization rates and severity by gender. This study highlights the need for research to examine dating violence among this population.