Many teen girls who push, slap or punch their dates know the situation could become more violent, but they think most consequences are unlikely, a new study shows.
Researchers at U-M and Wayne State University used the theory of planned behavior, which predicts a person’s intentions and actions.
“We know that girls’ use of force often occurs in the context of violence against them, either as self-defense or sometimes retaliation,” says Richard Tolman, U-M professor of social work, who wrote the study with lead author Poco Kernsmith, an associate professor of social work at WSU. “The impact of dating violence is more severe for girls who are victimized than for boys.”
Previous research indicates many girls say they initiate the use of force, and “we wanted to understand more about the predictors for girls’ actions,” he says.
Fifty-nine percent of the girls surveyed said they pushed, slapped, grabbed or committed other nonsevere violence and 28 percent said they punched, kicked, choked or committed other severe force against a partner. Forty-nine percent of the girls reported no use of violence.
Of the girls who had used physical force, 40 percent said it was done to protect themselves at least some of the time. The study also found that 53 percent of girls said their dating partner was violent first, and 22 percent said both partners initiated violence. Of those who reported using physical force in their relationships, 32 percent reported that they had never been victims, themselves, of dating violence.
Most students (81 percent) reported that they would be unlikely to perpetrate violence in the future, although those who had previously used severe violence were more likely to repeat these actions.
A scale measuring the attitudes toward violent behavior looked at the perceived consequences of this action against one’s partner, such as going to jail or losing self respect. The researchers said girls felt moderately confident in their ability to control violent behavior, but were least confident of their ability to avoid using force if they had been using alcohol or drugs.
The findings appear in the online journal Violence against Women.
