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. 2024 Apr;25(2):1265-1277.
doi: 10.1177/15248380231174504. Epub 2023 May 25.

Longitudinal Associations Between Adolescent Dating Violence Victimization and Adverse Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Laura Campo-Tena  1 , Simon R Larmour  1 , Noemí Pereda  2 , Manuel P Eisner  1
Affiliations

Longitudinal Associations Between Adolescent Dating Violence Victimization and Adverse Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Laura Campo-Tena et al. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2024 Apr.

Abstract

Evidence on the outcomes of adolescent dating violence (ADV) victimization mainly derives from cross-sectional studies, which have limitations in suggesting causal relationships. Furthermore, the complexity of factors and overlapping dimensions in dating violence research, such as the forms of violence experienced, may have contributed to the variability of findings across the literature. To address these gaps and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of ADV, this study reviews findings from prospective cohort studies, with a focus on the type of violence experienced and the gender of the victim. A systematic search was conducted in nine electronic databases and additional relevant journals. Prospective longitudinal studies were included if dating violence victimization occurred during adolescence and chronologically preceded the outcomes. A quality assessment was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A narrative approach was used to synthesize findings. After screening 1,838 records, 14 publications met the selection criteria and were included in this review. Our findings suggest that experiencing ADV is longitudinally associated with many adverse outcomes, including higher internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors, poorer well-being, increased substance use, and increased revictimization. However, the associations are not consistently reported across studies when considering the type of ADV experienced and the gender of the victim. This review highlights the limited number of longitudinal studies examining the outcomes of ADV victimization, the unbalanced approach in investigating different forms of violence, and the lack of diverse samples examining this subject. Implications for research, policy, and practice are outlined.

Keywords: adolescent victims; dating violence; domestic violence; mental health and violence; sexual assault.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flowchart of study selection.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Proportion of significant and non-significant associations between ADV victimization and outcomes—girls. Note. ADV = adolescent dating violence; perp = perpetration.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Proportion of significant and non-significant associations between adolescent dating violence victimization and outcomes—boys.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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