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 snapshots 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 snapshots will provide you with the crucial information needed for teen dating violence awareness and intervention.
You can view all of our research snapshots here, or keep reading to see the featured articles for July.
Context Matters: Reactive and Proactive Bystander Action to Prevent Sexual and Dating Violence in High Schools
This study examines actionism – how adolescents take action to prevent sexual and dating violence. The researchers found that students in schools with supportive peer norms reported more proactive actionism, suggesting that both individual and school environment factors may play a role in dating and sexual violence prevention.
Read the two-page summary here.
Full Reference: Banyard, V., Mitchell, K. J., Waterman, E. A., J. Rizzo, A., & Edwards, K. M. (2020). Context matters: reactive and proactive bystander action to prevent sexual and dating violence in high schools. Journal of School Violence, 19(4), 499-511.
Parents Matter: A Descriptive Study of Parental Discussions with Teens About Violence Prevention and Related Topics
Parent-child conversations can have protective effects for youth. This study examines how parents engage in conversations with their children about violence prevention and other related topics and highlights the importance of building parents’ confidence in having discussions with their children about sensitive topics.
Read the two-page summary here.
Full Reference: Edwards, K. M., Banyard, V. L., & Kirkner, A. (2020). Parents matter: a descriptive study of parental discussions with teens about violence prevention and related topics. Journal of interpersonal Violence
Who, When, How, and Why Bystanders Intervene in Physical and Psychological Teen Dating Violence
This article reviews the research on adolescents’ bystander behaviours in the context of teen dating violence, summarizing findings from 17 studies. Researchers found that adolescents may be more likely to intervene in dating violence when they are confident that the act is abusive, and that their intervention is going to be helpful. This research highlights the importance of intervention programs using contemporary examples that reflect youths’ experience in order to build confidence in identifying and intervening.
Read the two-page summary here.
Full Reference: Debnam, K. J., & Mauer, V. (2021). Who, when, how, and why bystanders intervene in physical and psychological teen dating violence. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 22(1), 54-67.
Adolescents’ Help-seeking Behavior and Intentions Following Adolescent Dating Violence: A Systematic Review
This article reviews research on adolescents’ help seeking behaviours and intentions after experiencing dating violence. The researchers found that adolescents were most likely to report using informal sources of support, often due to concerns about confidentiality and feelings of shame. This research provides solutions for practitioners and researchers to address the identified barriers to help-seeking.
Read the two-page summary here.
Full Reference: Bundock, K., Chan, C., & Hewitt, O. (2020). Adolescents’ help-seeking behavior and intentions following adolescent dating violence: A systematic review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 21(2), 350-366.
