Victims of Dating Violence Among High School Students

Abstract

The present study explored males' and females' experiences of violence within dating relationships and, specifically, whether there are different patterns in the predictors of victimization for males and females. The sample included a large, racially/ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse sample of public high school students. The study was guided by social learning theory and a feminist perspective. Numerous predictors of victimization within the three domains of contextual, situational, and sociodemographic factors were examined, with separate analyses conducted for males and females. Information regarding the context of the violence—that is, who initiated the violence, the perceived causes, and the reactions of the victims—are reported. Results revealed very different patterns of predictors for males and females, as well as gender differences in victims' reactions to the violence. Implications of the findings are discussed.