Interventions to prevent and reduce teen dating violence

Abstract

This supplement is devoted to interventions to prevent and reduce teen dating violence (TDV). TDV is a serious public health problem that is garnering growing attention by researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. Nationally representative data from the Centers for Disease Control's 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System provide ample evidence for these concerns. Among the roughly three in four students who dated in the previous 12 months, more than 10% reported being “hit, slammed into something, or injured with an object or weapon on purpose” [1]. Findings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health portray the adverse health effects of TDV over time [2]. In comparison to nonvictims, female participants who experienced TDV victimization during adolescence reported greater episodic drinking and depression 5 years later, whereas male participants reported greater antisocial behaviors and marijuana use.