Teen Dating Violence Is Risk Factor for Negative Long-Term Outcomes

Teen dating violence longitudinally associated with increasing high-risk behaviors and with poor mental health outcomes

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 4, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Teen dating violence (TDV) in adolescence is a risk factor for negative long-term outcomes, according to a review published online May 2 in Pediatrics.

Antonio Piolanti, Ph.D., from the University of Klagenfurt in Austria, and colleagues conducted a systematic review of the longitudinal associations between TDV and negative outcomes, including mental and physical health, reoccurrence of violence in intimate relationships, and high-risk behaviors. Data were included from 38 studies involving 23 unique samples.

The researchers found that TDV in adolescence was associated with future teen dating and intimate partner violence in adulthood. TDV was longitudinally associated with increasing high-risk behaviors such as marijuana and alcohol use and with poor mental health outcomes, especially for victimization. Unclear evidence was found for the longitudinal link between TDV and suicide attempts. Among girls versus boys, significant associations between TDV and negative outcomes were reported more often.

“This review further highlights the importance of prevention programs for dating violence among adolescents,” the authors write. “Prevention programs have demonstrated efficacy in reducing teen dating violence, thereby showing that TDV can be effectively targeted.”