The Overlap Between Teen Dating Violent Offending and Violent Victimization

• Author: Michael D. Reisig,Natasha Pusch
• DOI: 10.1177/0093854821997513
• Published date: 01 October 2021
• Date: 01 October 2021
• Subject Matter: Articles

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR, 2021, Vol. 48, No. 10, October 2021, 1468 –1486.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854821997513

Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions

© 2021 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology

1468

THE OVERLAP BETWEEN TEEN DATING

VIOLENT OFFENDING AND VIOLENT

VICTIMIZATION

NATASHA PUSCH

Texas Tech University

MICHAEL D. REISIG

Arizona State University

Teen dating violence (TDV) affects both males and females, and the negative consequences associated with such violence

last into adulthood. This study had three objectives: (a) determine the extent of overlap in TDV offending and TDV victimiza-

tion, (b) test whether social ties explain the TDV overlap, and (c) assess whether the effects of social ties on teen dating

violence are invariant between sexes. This study used data from the 2018 Arizona Youth Study (N = 5,189). The findings

confirmed that TDV overlap exists. In addition, social ties appeared to partially explain this overlap. Finally, some social ties

appeared more general, predicting TDV for both sexes, whereas others were not. For instance, Paternal Attachment was found

to reduce the probability of dating violence among female participants only. The findings lend support to prevention programs

that aim to strengthen ties between parents and teens.

Keywords: adolescent relationships; intimate partner violence; romantic partners; social bonds

Teen dating violence (or TDV) is defined as the use of violence against a past or present

dating partner among individuals aged 12 to 18 years (National Institute of Justice,

n.d.). It includes various types of abuse, such as physical violence (e.g., hitting, kicking, and

slapping), psychological aggression (e.g., threats and intimidation), sexual violence, and

stalking (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). In contrast to other types of

violence that mostly affect males, such as gang violence, robbery, and homicide (Puzzanchera,

2020), TDV affects both sexes. Research in this area is especially critical because teens who

behave violently toward their romantic partners are likely to continue doing so into adult-

hood (Leadbeater et al., 2014).

Although previous TDV research has largely focused on the influence of risk and protec-

tive factors (see Jennings et al., 2012, for a review), few studies have focused on the effects

AUTHORS’ NOTE: The authors wish to thank Adam Fine and Kristy Holtfreter for their feedback on earlier

drafts of this study, and Dustin Pardini and Gary Sweeten for granting access to these data. Data collection

was supported by grant funding from the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. Correspondence concerning

this article should be addressed to Natasha Pusch, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work,

Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409; e-mail: natashapusch@gmail.com.

997513CJBXXX10.1177/0093854821997513Criminal Justice and BehaviorPusch, Reisig /

research-article2021

Pusch, Reisig / TEEN DATING VIOLENCE 1469

of teens’ social ties. This is surprising given the important role that many mothers and

fathers play in the lives of their teen children, the influence of schools on structuring the

daily routines of students, and the effects of conventional beliefs on regulating the behavior

of adolescents. Social control theory provides a potentially useful theoretical framework to

study the influence of social ties when it comes to TDV. Whether such ties affect males and

females who are involved in dating relationships differently remains an open question.

This study had three objectives. The first goal was to determine the extent to which vio-

lent offending and victimization overlap exists within a teen dating context. A second aim

was to test whether social ties explain TDV overlap. The final objective was to assess

whether the influence of social ties on dating violence varies between sexes. To accomplish

these goals, this study used data from the 2018 Arizona Youth Survey. The findings provide

not only insight into the risk and protective factors associated with social ties when it comes

to TDV but also direction for the delivery of TDV prevention programs.

THE EXTENT AND CONSEQUENCES OF TDV

An estimated 20% of teen dating relationships involve some form of violence (Wincentak

et al., 2017). However, such estimates have tended to vary when different definitions of

dating violence are used. Studies that have reported lower estimates often focus on acts of

physical and sexual violence (Garthe et al., 2017), whereas those with higher estimates

include psychological aggression (i.e., nonphysical attempts to emotionally harm or control

another individual; Ybarra et al., 2016). Prevalence estimates have also been found to vary

across samples consisting of different age groups (Taylor & Mumford, 2016). And like

other forms of teen violence, national estimates have shown that rates of TDV have been

declining in recent years, although such reductions are fairly modest when compared with

other violent acts (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020; Puzzanchera, 2020).

There are various costs associated with TDV, such as physical injury and mental health

problems (e.g., depression and suicide ideation; Exner-Cortens et al., 2019). The emotional

turmoil resulting from TDV has been linked to poor academic performance and increased

substance use among high school students (Edwards & Neal, 2017; Temple et al., 2013). In

addition, those who are involved in violent relationships during adolescence have been

found to be at greater risk of being in violent relationships as adults (Leadbeater et al., 2014;

Manchikanti Gómez, 2011). Those who are accepting of intimate partner violence as adults

are more likely to tolerate the use of violence against their children (Gracia et al., 2020). In

sum, the potential costs associated with TDV are substantial.

THE OVERLAP BETWEEN OFFENDING AND VICTIMIZATION IN TEEN DATING

RELATIONSHIPS

Some of the early pioneers of criminology observed that many individuals who offend

were also victims, and vice versa (Von Hentig, 1948; Wolfgang, 1958). Since then, overlap

between these two groups has been demonstrated among many different crime types, includ-

ing violent crime (Silver et al., 2011), property crime (Posick, 2013), cyberbullying (Marcum

et al., 2014), and sexual offenses (Jennings et al., 2014). Although overlap research often

focuses on adolescents, a group known for its relatively high offending and victimization

rates, evidence of the overlap has been reported in variety of different samples, including