Looking for an easy way to get caught up on the latest in teen dating violence research? Up-to-date, empirical research has a critical role to play in the practice of Teen Dating Violence intervention programs, and PREVNet aims to support ease-of-access to this research.

A number of cutting-edge research articles have been selected for their direct applicability to our Community of Practice projects, and two-page summaries have been generated from each article. Each month, we’ll feature four of these plain-language summaries in a blog post. Whether you are a part of PREVNet’s Community of Practice Addressing Youth Dating Violence, or a parent, caregiver, or educator, these research summaries will provide you with the crucial information needed for teen dating violence awareness and intervention.

You can view all of our research summaries here, or keep reading to see the featured articles for October

Theory and teen dating violence victimization: Considering adolescent development 

This research paper is a summary of five theories of adolescent development that may be relevant to the study of teen dating violence. These theories are further supported by empirical research throughout the paper. The more knowledge we have of the current literature on adolescent development and dating relationships, the better understanding we will have about where the gaps in the literature are and how we can guide new directions in future research on teen dating violence.

Read the two-page summary here.

Full Reference: Exner-Cortens, D. (2014). Theory and teen dating violence victimization: Considering adolescent development. Developmental Review, 34, 168-188. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2014.03.001

School Personnel’s Bystander Action in Situations of Teen Relationship Abuse and Sexual Assault

This research study focuses on relationship abuse (RA) and sexual assault (SA). It highlights the need for high school staff members to intervene in situations of RA and SA, suggesting that prevention programs need to be put into action in the school setting, in order to improve the overall school climate. This research illuminates the importance of reducing RA and SA among high school youth, and how school staff members can have an important impact in these circumstances.

Read the two-page summary here.

Full Reference: Levesque, D. A., Johnson, J. L., Welch, C. A., Prochaska, M. J., & Paiva, A. L. (2016). Teen dating violence prevention: Cluster-randomized trial of teen choices, an online, stage-based program for healthy, nonviolent relationships. Psychology of Violence, 6(3), 421-432.

Ten-year trends in physical dating violence victimization among adolescent boys and girls in British Columbia, Canada

This study examines trends in the frequency of physical dating violence (PDV), as well as potential differences by sex, over a span of 10 years in British Columbia, Canada. This study demonstrates that it is important for programming and health policies aimed at reducing PDV victimization to consider sex differences, as well as the need to promote healthy social norms regarding the non-acceptability and non-normalization of dating violence in order to create healthy romantic relationships in adolescence.

Read the two-page summary here.

Full Reference: Shaffer, C.S., Adjei,J., Viljoen, J.L., Douglas, K.S., & Saewyc, E.M. (2018). Ten-year trends in physical dating violence victimization among adolescent boys and girls in British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 1-18.