Intimate partner violence among adolescents: Prevalence rates after one decade of research

Abstract

Introduction: Intimate partner violence research and intervention strategies have grown substantially over the last two decades. However, little research has examined whether the intimate partner prevalence has changed or remained stable over time in Spain. Moreover, few studies have analyzed whether intimate partner violence prevalence rates among genders and age groups have fluctuated similarly or not. Method: The aim of this study was to analyze the trends observed in intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization rates among adolescents in three sample cohorts from Spain interviewed in 2006, 2010, and 2016 (4591 Spanish adolescents; 53.6% girls and 46.2% boys). ANCOVA was used to compare the population means between the cohorts: sex, age, and the type of intimate partner violence, for example, verbal, physical, and sexual. Results: The results showed a significant decrease in intimate partner violence rates from 2006 to 2016, which was more noticeable within the first half of this decade. Throughout the decade, the girls perpetrated more verbal and mild physical assaults, while the boys perpetrated more sexual assaults. However, these results suggest a clear bidirectional intimate partner violence dynamic between the genders. Additionally, late adolescence reported a higher prevalence of aggressions. Conclusions: The results highlight the need to adapt current prevention strategies considering the differences in the intimate partner violence trajectories based on sex and age, with the aim of regaining the marked rate of decline in aggression observed up to 2010.

Some scandals in gender-based violence and intimate partner violence

“…she took the wrong man". In line with Muñoz-Rivas et al (2023), verbal abuse is more relevant for immature intimate partners as their reactions tend to lack reasoning. The words thrown at abuse victims include weakling, useless, other men are better than the victim, and fool, among others CONCLUSION High-status abusers show the patterns of abuse in IPV as not being different from those that are common, but they are not expected to cause or perpetuate any IPV.…”