NCJ Number
190269
Journal
JAMA Volume: 286 Issue: 5 Dated: August 1, 2001 Pages: 572-579
Date Published
August 2001
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study assessed the lifetime prevalence of physical and sexual violence by dating partners among adolescent girls, as well as associations of these forms of violence with specific health risks.
Abstract
Subjects of the study were 9th-grade through 12th-grade students who participated in the 1997 and 1999 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (n=1,977 and 2,186, respectively). The main outcome measures were the lifetime prevalence rates of physical and sexual dating violence and whether such violence was independently associated with substance use, unhealthy weight control, sexual risk behavior, pregnancy, and suicidality. Approximately one in five female students reported being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner. After controlling for the effects of potentially confounding demographics and risk behaviors, data from both surveys indicated that physical and sexual dating violence against adolescent girls was associated with increased risk of substance use, unhealthy weight control behaviors (e.g., use of laxatives and/or vomiting), sexual risk behaviors (e.g., first intercourse before age 15), pregnancy, and suicidality (e.g., attempted suicide). The study concludes that dating violence was very prevalent among this population, and adolescent girls who reported a history of experiencing dating violence were more likely to exhibit other serious health risk behaviors. 3 tables and 35 references