Cohort-sequential study: rural teen dating violence victimization, perpetration

Clemson University, Clemson SC

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A multi-year cohort-sequential study of rural adolescent dating violence victimization and perpetration is proposed. The project's goal is to define an ecological, multilevel model of dating violence victimization and perpetration among adolescents in the rural south as a prelude to developing a comprehensive, community-based prevention and intervention initiative and generating specific policy and program recommendations for the prevention of adolescent dating violence. Data will be collected across a four-year study period from a random sample of females and males in grades 6 through 12 (approximate age range of 12 to 19), a parent or caregiver, and school and youth serving organization personnel. Data will also be collected through an observational study of the adolescents' neighborhoods, through third party sources of neighborhood-level data and through an observational study of adolescent couples who have been dating for a minimum of three months. Finally, data will be collected on factors characterizing the organizational setting where youth spend substantial amounts of time, including schools and youth serving organizations. Latent growth curve analysis will be used to model the data. Specifically, the project will 1) describe the developmental trajectory of dating violence victimization and perpetration among adolescent females and males in a rural southern setting; 2) identify multilevel risk factors for dating violence victimization and perpetration in the population; 3) define predictive models for dating violence victimization and perpetration, taking individual, dyadic, familial, organizational, and neighborhood and community factors into account; 4) describe the dyadic context of adolescent dating relationships relative to victimization and perpetration; 5) design a multi- level ecological intervention approach to preventing and ameliorating adolescent dating violence victimization and perpetration based on predictive risk models; 6) develop specific policy and program recommendations for responding to rural adolescent dating violence victimization and perpetration; and 7) disseminate research findings and policy and program recommendations.