Pacific Youth and Shifting Thresholds: Understanding Teen Dating Violence in Hawai'i

• NCJ Number: 230545
• Journal: Journal of School Violence Volume: 9 Issue: 2 Dated: April - June 2010 Pages: 154-173
• Author(s): Charlene K. Baker; Susana Helm
• Date Published: April 2010
• Length: 20 pages
• Grant Number(s): 5U49CE000749-03; ASO Log 06-263
• Sponsoring Agency: Ctr's for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Hawaii Dept of Health, Maternal & Child Health Branch
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study explored teen dating violence in a sample of adolecscents of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Asian-American descent.

Abstract

The high prevalence of teen dating violence (TDV) nationally suggests that it is a public health problem in need of intervention. However, there is limited information about what constitutes TDV in the eyes of teens. Equally limited is an understanding of these parameters among diverse cultures. To fill these gaps, the current study conducted focus groups with 51 adolescents of Native Hawaiian, Samoan, and Filipino descent. Youth were asked how they define TDV as a way to delineate their threshold for violence and related behaviors. Findings indicated that many forms of emotional TDV fall below teens' threshold, such as the use of cell phones and the Internet to monitor their dating partners. Possible venues and strategies for intervention are discussed. References (Published Abstract)