Adolescent predictors of female dating violence perpetration

ABSTRACT

Teen dating violence is a significant problem impacting the adolescent experience with adolescent females at-risk to perpetrate violence. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) was used to assess perpetration risk behaviors through an examination into adolescent behaviors that shape their dating experiences. This study examined adolescent female perpetration of dating violence and the associations between alcohol use, racial identification, and delinquency using a nationally representative longitudinal sample. It was hypothesized that both models would predict dating violence perpetration based on prior knowledge and research studies that have been conducted among adolescent samples. Although risk behaviors were present among adolescents in this nationally representative sample, threats of violence and physical perpetration of violence were reported at levels lower than hypothesized. The findings of this study identified adolescent female minorities as being at an increased risk to perpetrate physical dating violence. These findings demonstrate the continued need to examine female perpetration of dating violence and incorporate these experiences in prevention and intervention efforts.

KEYWORDS:

• Teen dating violence
• adolescents
• Add Health
• perpetration

Research materials

Add Health research materials can be accessed through the Inter-consortium for Political and Social Research.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.

Notes

1. Add Health studies have examined prevalence (Halpern, Spriggs, Martin, & Kupper, 2009), mental health (Fang, Massetti, Ouyang, Grosse, & Mercy, 2010; King, Hatcher, & Bride, 2015), child abuse (Gomez, 2011), and alcohol use (Renner & Whitney, 2012; Wiersma, Cleveland, Herrera, & Fischer, 2010).

2. Public Law 103-43, Title X, Subtitle D, Section 1031

3. Wave II data was omitted from data analysis due to the established research questions and absence of violence perpetration among the targeted age demographic.

4. Wave IV data was omitted as it fell beyond the established study parameters.