Predictors of Physical and Dating Violence in Middle and High School Students in the United States

• In Event: Routine Activities Theory and Victimization

Abstract

Dating violence is a growing and prominent problem for today's middle and high school students. Intimate partner violence, which can include physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological aggression, impacts millions of individuals worldwide. This specific study will examine one age group affected by this rampant phenomenon: adolescents under the age of 18. The purpose of this study is to continue the examination of correlates of dating violence, specifically physical and sexual, through the analysis of data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey and application of Routine Activities Theory. Results support hypotheses that the components of RAT are moderate to strong predictors of physical and sexual dating violence in adolescents.

Authors

• George E. Higgins, University of Louisville

• Catherine Marcum, Appalachian State University

• Jason Nicholson, University of West Georgia

• Phillip Weiner, Appalachian State University