Patterns of Change in Adolescent Dating Victimization and Aggression During Middle School

• NCJ Number: 253234
• Author(s): Elizabeth A. Goncy; Albert D. Farrell; Terri N. Sullivan
• Date Published: 2018
• Length: 14 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2012-IJ-CX-0014
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description
• Award: Teen Dating Violence Victimization in an Urban Sample of Early Adolescents: Measurement, Prevalence, Trajectories, and Consequences

Annotation

This longitudinal study examined trajectories of dating victimization and aggression across middle school using 12 waves of data.

Abstract

Although mounting evidence suggests dating victimization and aggression begin in early adolescence, little work has examined the pattern of these behaviors across this age. Participants in the current study were early adolescents residing in an urban, economically disadvantaged area. These youth completed measures of dating victimization and aggression quarterly across the 3 years of middle school. Although results indicated a general trend of increasing dating victimization and aggression across middle school, variation existed for boys and girls. Specifically, girls showed increasing patterns of both; whereas boys remained relatively stable across time. Dating victimization and aggression were also highly correlated across time. These findings support the implementation and refinement of prevention programming aimed at preventing and reducing dating aggression and victimization in middle school. 47 references (publisher abstract modified)