A growing body of research examines the problem of adolescent dating violence. In these studies, fairly high rates of female‐to‐male violence have been documented, leading to considerable debate about the role of gender in dating and other partner violence. Drawing from a broader qualitative study of violence in the lives of African‐American youths from a distressed urban community, we weigh in on this debate by providing a contextual examination of the nature, circumstances, and meanings of adolescent dating violence. Our research shows that the meanings and consequences of girls ‘violence are strikingly different than those of boys’, and that both are grounded in gender inequalities. We conclude by discussing the significance of these findings for both feminist and general research on dating violence.

Research Summary: This research shows that non‐Latino black, non‐Latino white, and Latino males and females in the U.S. experience significantly different levels of stranger and non‐stranger violence, and that these forms of non‐lethal violence are especially pronounced in areas with high levels of socioeconomic disadvantage. Many of the differences between these groups are eliminated once community and other individual characteristics are taken into account. Policy Implications: The results suggest that victimization resources should be geographically targeted at places with high levels of poverty and single‐parent families, and that the most stable institutions within these communities be drawn upon to deliver information about victimization prevention and services.

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Silverthorn and Frick may have over-estimated the outcome similarity of late-onset offending females to early-onset males and under-estimated occurrence of early-onset-life-course persistent offending in females. In so far as cohort studies such as these inform social policy, it is likely to be important that they are interpreted with sensitivity to minority needs.

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Bullying can create a climate of fear and discomfort in schools and communities. This study examined the longitudinal associations between children's bullying, special education placements in elementary school, and serious delinquent behavior during secondary school. Using data from the youngest sample of the Pittsburgh Youth Study, the authors examined these associations while controlling for prior poor academic achievement and aggression. They found that contrary to prior research, neither special education placements nor poor academic achievement predicted bullying or serious delinquency. They found substantial continuity between early aggression and special education placements, bullying, and serious delinquency. They discuss the implications of our finding for future research and policy development.

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