Certain factors may increase teens’ risk of experiencing and perpetrating teen dating violence. A number of studies have looked at the relationship between teen dating violence and community, family, peer, and individual risk factors. A lack of longitudinal data and a reliance on self-report data limits the causal connections that can be made between risk factors and teen dating violence. In most cases the relationship between risk factors and teen dating violence listed below represent correlations, but not necessarily causality.1
Risk Factors for Teen Dating Violence Victimization
Findings suggest that the frequency and severity of teen dating violence increases with age.2 In addition, the likelihood of being subjected to violence in a relationship increases for teens who
Risk Factors for Teen Dating Violence Perpetration
There are also risk factors that contribute to the likelihood of a teen becoming a perpetrator of dating violence. Many of these are developmentally normal in youth, such as little to no relationship experience, vulnerability to peer pressure, and unsophisticated communication skills.4 Some additional factors that have been found to be associated with teen dating violence perpetration include
1 Offenhauer & Buchalter, 2011
2 Halpern, Spriggs, Martin, & Kupper, 2009; Offenhauer & Buchalter, 2011
3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2010; Halpern et al., 2009; Offenhauer & Buchalter, 2011; Lewis & Fremouw, 2001; Rickert & Wiemann, 2008
4 Mulford & Giordano, 2008
5 CDC, 2010
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