Through the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, NIJ
has made available the following final technical reports:
Measurement, Prevalence, Trajectories, and Consequences (pdf, 22 pages)
These reports are the result NIJ-funded projects but were
not published by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Title: The National Survey of Teen Relationships and
Intimate Violence (STRiV) (pdf, 18 pages)
Authors: Bruce G. Taylor, Ph.D., Elizabeth A. Mumford,
Ph.D., Weiwei Liu, Ph.D.
Abstract:
This paper summarizes the findings from five papers (three
published and two under review) of the National Survey of Teen Relationships
and Intimate Violence (STRiV).
The purpose of STRiV was to build the field’s understanding
of adolescent relationship abuse (ARA). The researchers define ARA as physical,
emotional, verbal, psychological, or sexual abuse perpetrated by an adolescent
against another adolescent with whom they are in a dating/romantic
relationship. This may be in person or via electronic means, in both public and
private spaces, and/or between current or past dating partners.
The goal of the survey was to produce nationally
representative estimates of the prevalence of different forms of ARA among
youth (ages 12-18), to document the characteristics of abusive relationships
during adolescence, to assess ARA risk factors, and to situate these estimates
within the environment of adolescents’ key social relationships and
communications.
Based on the study’s findings, the researchers developed the
first comprehensive national portrait of the prevalence of varying categories
of ARA victimization and perpetration. The portrait includes levels of physical
and emotional injury by gender, age, and other key demographic characteristics.
The researchers also use STRiV findings to explore the
importance of parent-youth relationships and interactions, the impact of
financial behaviors on adolescent dating, youth tolerance for ARA and
prevention, friendship group structural and behavioral factors, and the relationship
between sexual harassment and ARA.
The research suggests that the STRiV national portrait of
ARA can begin to help policymakers identify the resources needed to combat ARA.
Overall, with an additional second NIJ grant, the researchers will continue to
work toward the project goal to provide the necessary data to help the field
understand and prevent ARA.
Title: Teen Dating Violence Victimization in an Urban Sample
of Early Adolescents: Measurement, Prevalence, Trajectories, and Consequences
(pdf, 22 pages)
Authors: Elizabeth A. Goncy, Albert D. Farrell, Terri N.
Sullivan
Abstract:
A critical period for the emergence of adolescent dating
aggression (DA, also referred to as teen dating violence) and victimization is
early adolescence.
Though many early adolescents are dating, interpersonal
skills may not fully emerge until later. This skills deficit may lead to DA
perpetration and victimization. Prevention and intervention programs that do
not start until after middle school may miss a critical window. Early
programming may result in lessening DA to reduce the burden of the criminal
justice system in combating and prosecuting later domestic violence.
This project was designed to further the understanding of DA
during early adolescence to guide early identification, prevention, and
intervention. It involved secondary analysis data on youth violence and
prevention.
The study found that approximately 40 percent reported
perpetrating at least one act of DA and almost 50 percent reported experiencing
one act of DA victimization in the past three months. Gender differences
included greater perpetration among girls, with boys more likely victimized,
but girls showing an increase in DA victimization and perpetration across
middle school.
This research shows substantial rates of DA perpetration and
victimization beginning as early as sixth grade, with around a fifth of urban
middle school youth engaging in less severe forms of DA as defined in the
latent class of psychologically aggressive victims. Importantly, approximately
another quarter of middle school youth are involved in substantially more
severe forms of DA as a victim, perpetrator, or both. The research suggests
that prevention may need to be tailored.
Further, risk for involvement in DA may be exacerbated in
youth exposed to poverty or community violence.
Researchers acknowledge a need for more research to examine
whether changes in DA victimization over time link to changes in mental health
or other risk factors. Additionally, the field would benefit from replication
and validation of these findings in diverse or nationally representative
samples. Finally, measurement work could be improved with greater emphasis on
understanding intent, context, motives, and consequences.
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