Female Perpetrated Dating Violence: An Examination of Nature, Extent, Motivations, and Causes

• In Event: Gender, Context, and Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

The paper presents a systematic research review that synthesizes the knowledge on female-perpetrated dating violence. Research suggests that the different types of perpetration used by young women may be distinguished by motives, precipitating events, and the abuse history of the partners. While some scholarship suggests that young women most often use violence in self-defense, other work notes that female perpetration in which young women use violence as the primary aggressor is most often out of anger, sexual jealousy, and/or frustration. This review highlights the nature, extent, motivations for perpetration, and the personal, family, relationship, and behavioral factors that heighten the risk for female-perpetrated dating violence. The scholarly literature included in this research review was identified using a variety of library and online databases, in addition to gray literature. These included, Sociological Abstracts, PsycInfo, ProQuest Criminal Justice, Social Science Index, Google Scholar, and unpublished theses and dissertations. The application of systematic research reviews to policy initiatives offers the ability to inform the development of programs offered by schools and colleges, campus-based health and social service providers, and community interventions to help reduce the risks and consequences of dating violence.

Authors

• Catherine Kaukinen, University of Central Florida

• Ráchael Powers, University of South Florida