NCJ Number
205233
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 18 Issue: 6 Dated: December 2003 Pages: 595-617
Date Published
December 2003
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationships between physical aggression, forced sex, or stalking in dating relationships and subsequent deleterious physical and mental health outcomes for women and men.
Abstract
Although research concerning dating violence has increased in recent years, most studies have focused on physical and/or psychological abuse. Few studies have specifically examined the frequency of physical aggression, forced sex, and stalking victimization among dating partners and no studies have probed the longer-term health consequences for women and men who have experienced these types of behaviors in a dating relationship. Data were drawn from the National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS) conducted from November 1995 to May 1996 by way of a random-digit-dial telephone survey. Participants in the current study were 6,790 women and 7,122 men. Dating violence was operationally defined to include physical aggression by a dating partner, sexual assaults by a dating partner, and stalking by a current or former dating partner. The NVAWS utilized 12 items measuring physical aggression from the Conflict Tactics Scale (Straus & Gelles, 1990). Health indicators addressed current mental and physical health and current drug or alcohol use. Results of statistical analyses indicated that the lifetime prevalence of dating violence is 8.3 percent among women and 2.4 percent among men. These rates of dating violence fall at the lower end of the range of prevalence estimated in recent research. Other findings revealed that 20.6 percent of women and 9.7 percent of men reported experiencing more than one type of dating violence. Risk of dating violence was greater among women and men who reported childhood physical aggression by a parent or guardian. The health outcomes associated with dating violence include current depressive symptoms, current therapeutic drug use, and current recreation drug use for women. The analysis of dating violence by type underscores the need to include forced sex and stalking within the range of aggressive dating behaviors. Implications for the health care and child welfare industries are also discussed, especially in terms of programs designed to stop the cycle of abuse for child victims. Figures, tables, references