Psychosocial factors associated with adolescent boys' reports of dating violence

Adolescence. 2003 Fall;38(151):519-33.

Abstract

The prevalence of dating violence, as well as its association with psychosocial factors, was examined among a nationally representative sample of 9th- through 12th-grade U.S. boys (N = 7,434) who completed the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The dependent variable was physical dating violence; the independent variables were violence, suicide, substance use, and sexual risk behavior. Unadjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were examined. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine all significant independent variables from the univariate models. Adjusted OR and 95% CI were examined to assess the significance of these relationships. In terms of prevalence, 9.13% of the boys reported physical dating violence. Boys who reported sad/hopeless feelings (OR = 1.68), had attempted suicide (OR = 2.22), reported fighting (OR = 1.81), had multiple sex partners (OR = 3.53), and reported nonuse of condoms (OR = 1.66) were more likely to report physical dating violence. These findings indicate that physical dating violence among adolescent boys may be a more serious problem than has previously been recognized. It was concluded that intervention programs should include a focus on boys as not only perpetrators but also recipients of dating violence.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Confidence Intervals
  • Courtship*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Depression / epidemiology
  • Depression / psychology
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Odds Ratio
  • Risk Factors
  • Safe Sex / psychology
  • Safe Sex / statistics & numerical data
  • Sampling Studies
  • Sexual Behavior / psychology
  • Sexual Behavior / radiation effects
  • Sexual Partners / psychology
  • Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology
  • Substance-Related Disorders / psychology
  • Suicide, Attempted / psychology
  • Suicide, Attempted / statistics & numerical data
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Violence / psychology*
  • Violence / statistics & numerical data