Physical and psychological dating violence in young men and women in Chile: results from a 2005 survey of university students

Abstract

Numerous studies have documented high levels of intimate partner violence in Chile. Yet to date, research and prevention/ response programs have focused almost exclusively on cohabiting and married couples. This study presents a comparative analysis of dating violence prevalence in a sample of male and female college students in Chile and describes the contexts in which such violence takes place. On the basis of a survey of students enrolled in general education courses at a large, public university in Santiago during the Winter 2005 term (n = 484 women, 466 men), we find a high prevalence of physical and psychological dating violence, with patterns resembling those documented for other countries. We also find a high prevalence of having witnessed inter-parental violence during childhood. Our results present a compelling case for not continuing to neglect dating violence in Chile and other Latin-American countries; further research in this area and the development and evaluation of prevention programs for youth, could go far in reducing the opportunity for aggression to become an established style of conflict resolution.