A trend analysis of adolescent dating violence in a rural southern community

Background/Purpose: Teen dating violence is a significant public health concern with wide-ranging consequences for adolescent well-being. Prevalence estimates vary but studies suggest that one-third of adolescents experience some form of lifetime dating violence. However, prevalence may be higher in rural areas, particularly in the South. This presentation reports results from a multi-year cohort analysis of adolescent dating violence victimization and perpetration among middle- and high-school youth in a rural southern community. Methods: A survey was administered to a seven-year repeated-cohort sample of 2,540 male and female middle- and high-school students, gathering data on attitudes toward violence; experience of physical, emotional, and sexual dating violence; acceptability of intimate relationship violence; views of dating relationships; and substance use and related risks. Results: The sample averaged 14.3 years old, and was 65.1% female, and 41.7% racial and ethnic minorities, with 57.4% attending high school. Lifetime victimization was found for 26.9% of females and 19.8% of males; lifetime perpetration was reported by 19.6% of females and 9.6% of males. Across time, victimization increased for males and females while perpetration increased for males and decreased for females. Factors influencing dating violence were knowing a female victim or male perpetrator, feeling unsafe at school or in the neighborhood, past six-month substance use, and attitudes towards dating violence. Conclusions: Rates of dating violence among teens in the rural south are generally consistent with national data. Unlike other studies, however, these data show that older females perpetrate dating violence at higher rates than their male counterparts.