International research has shown that intimate partner abuse affects many young people throughout adolescence. Despite a recent focus on family and intimate partner violence in Australia, there is almost no Australian data on the frequency or nature of youth intimate partner abuse (YIPA). The current study sought to better understand the frequency and nature of YIPA in Australian adolescents. To this end, 423 participants aged between 14 and 18 from Victorian (Australian) high schools completed an anonymous questionnaire regarding experiences of perpetration and victimization in their most difficult intimate relationship. Results showed high rates of both YIPA victimization and perpetration among boys and girls who had been in intimate relationships. As was expected, verbally and psychologically aggressive behaviors were reported more frequently than physically or sexually aggressive actions. Mutual YIPA was detected more frequently than unidirectional YIPA, and most commonly involved high severity reciprocal aggression. The current study further confirmed that YIPA is a complex and heterogeneous issue, involving a range of behaviors, patterns of use, and severities. A gender-sensitive approach to the current study allowed for consideration of the similarities and differences between male and female experiences of YIPA. The current study provides a novel method of ascertaining both the frequency and severity of YIPA experiences in a sample of young people, expands on both Australian and international literature, and identifies important gender considerations for future research.

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Purpose There is limited research examining stalking among adolescents. This study investigates adolescent stalking following an intimate relationship, or post‐relationship stalking (PRS), potential links with youth intimate partner abuse (YIPA) during the relationship, and examines psychological processes hypothesised to be associated with perpetrating PRS. Methods Four hundred and twenty‐three participants aged between 14–18 years were recruited from Australian secondary schools, with a subsample of 205 who reported on experiences of YIPA and PRS used in this study. Results Results showed that PRS was prevalent, with 19% (n = 33) reporting victimisation and 18% (n = 31) perpetration. Significant relationships were found between the experience of PRS and prior YIPA victimisation. Rumination about relationships was significantly related to PRS perpetration. Conclusions These findings add to the small body of literature on adolescent stalking and emphasise the need for more research into this phenomenon in order to guide developmentally appropriate prevention and intervention strategies.

There is a statistically significant association between bipolar disorder and the likelihood of having a criminal history. Co-occurring substance use differentially impacts on the likelihood of criminal offending for males and females.

Research investigating how cognition influences youth intimate partner abuse (IPA) remains limited. Understanding cognitive risk markers is theoretically important and can inform intervention to maximize the chance of behavior change. The current article investigated cognition regarding general antisociality, relationships, and gender-role attitudes on youth IPA perpetration among 275 (123 female) 14- to 18-year-olds. Theoretically derived relationships (based on social information processing theory and the General Aggression Model) were hypothesized, which furthered understanding of how cognition contributes to relationship aggression in adolescents, while controlling for common behavioral correlates. Results showed that, overall, other experiences of aggressive behavior more strongly related to youth IPA perpetration than cognitive correlates. Among boys, general antisocial cognition was more strongly associated with youth IPA perpetration than relationship-specific cognition, with the reverse being true for girls. These findings suggest there is value in exploring theoretically indicated cognitive risk markers for youth IPA in a gender-sensitive and dynamic manner. Findings also provide direction for future studies considering cognition and youth IPA in a more predictive manner and areas for consideration in intervention.