NCJ Number
208290
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 19 Issue: 3 Dated: June 2004 Pages: 273-287
Editor(s)
Roland D. Maiuro Ph.D.
Date Published
June 2004
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study attempted to identify the relative importance of personal factors that were linked to Latino teens’ perceived norms regarding perceptions of and knowledge about violence and dating.
Abstract
Research has focused little on how teens or youth view dating violence or what they know about dating violence. This study focused on attitudes and knowledge about violence among Latino teens. It examined the relationship between personal characteristics (gender, acculturation, belief in gender stereotypes, and recent dating experiences), and attitudes and knowledge about dating violence. The study consisted of 678 Latino boys and girls recruited from ninth grade health classes in the Los Angeles Unified School District in California as part of a larger study evaluating a dating violence prevention program. All assessments occurred in the classroom through self-report surveys and revealed that all four personal variables predicted dating violence knowledge. Evidence of gender differences was revealed in both knowledge and attitudes about dating violence in bivariate analyses, with boys endorsing more gender stereotypic views, knowing less than girls about partner abuse. Gender role stereotypes were indeed linked to knowledge, attitudes, and norms about dating violence. In addition, the study found that the acculturation measure of how well participants spoke and understood English was associated with both knowledge and belief in nonviolent dating norms in the analyses. Recent fearful dating experiences were also associated with knowledge about dating violence. References