Social Norms About Dating and Relationship Violence and Gender Among Adolescents: Systematic Review of Measures Used in Dating and Relationship Violence Research

Abstract

Adolescent dating and relationship violence (DRV) is widespread and associated with increased risk of subsequent poor mental health outcomes and partner violence. Shifting social norms (i.e., descriptive norms of perceived behavior and injunctive norms of acceptable behavior among a reference group of important others) may be important for reducing DRV. However, few DRV studies assess norms, measurement varies, and evidence on measure quality is diffuse. We aimed to map and assess how studies examining DRV measured social norms concerning DRV and gender. We conducted a systematic review of DRV literature reporting on the use and validity of such measures among participants aged 10–18 years. Searches included English peer-reviewed and grey literature identified via nine databases; Google Scholar; organization websites; reference checking; known studies; and expert requests. We identified 24 eligible studies from the Americas ( N = 15), Africa ( N = 4), and Europe ( N = 5) using 40 eligible measures of DRV norms (descriptive: N = 19; injunctive: N = 14) and gender norms (descriptive: N = 1; injunctive: N = 6). No measure was shared across studies. Most measures were significantly associated with DRV outcomes and most had a defined reference group. Other evidence of quality was mixed. DRV norms measures sometimes specified heterosexual relationships but rarely separated norms governing DRV perpetrated by girls and boys. None specified sexual-minority relationships. Gender norms measures tended to focus on violence, but missed broader gendered expectations underpinning DRV. Future research should develop valid, reliable DRV norms and gender norms measures, and assess whether interventions’ impact on norms mediates impact on DRV.

Assessing Survey Items on Social Norms Relating to Dating and Relationship Violence and to Gender: Cognitive Interviews with Young People in England

“…Our data suggest that narrowing the reference group to “your friends” might improve answerability where norms are salient among this reference group and where the behaviors in question are likely to have been discussed or observed. The use of this narrower reference group is supported by evidence from a recent systematic review of social norms measures in DRV research showing that for nearly all included measures, DRV supportive norms among friends were associated with young people’s own experience of DRV ( Meiksin et al, 2023 ).…”

“…We changed the reference group from "your friends" to "girls in your school" and (in a separate item) "boys in your school," assessing norms at the site of intervention and separately by gender given that reported rates of DRV can differ between girls and boys (Barter et al, 2014;Leen et al, 2013). While evidence suggests that DRV rates might be higher among gender minorities as compared to cisgender young people (Dietz, 2019), we restricted this item to the two gender reference groups used in existing valid and reliable DRV descriptive norms measures (Meiksin et al, 2023).…”

“…Empirical studies demonstrate the role of peer influence in DRV victimization and perpetration, finding that inequitable gender norms ( Barter et al, 2009 ; Shakya et al, 2022 ; Wesche & Dickson-Gomez, 2019 ) and social norms supportive of DRV ( Foshee et al, 2001 ; Gage, 2016 ; Salazar et al, 2018 ; Vagi et al, 2013 ) contribute to DRV risk, even when controlling for personal attitudes toward DRV ( Foshee et al, 2001 ; Gage, 2016 ; Shakya et al, 2022 ). Interventions to reduce DRV often incorporate strategies to influence the peer social norms that contribute to sustaining this type of abuse ( Stanley et al, 2015 ) but have not assessed social norms as a mediator of intervention effects ( Meiksin et al, 2023 ).…”

“…A recent global systematic review reported on the use and quality of measures assessing social norms about DRV and gender, where measures had been tested for their association with DRV outcomes ( Meiksin et al, 2023 ). None of the 40 descriptive and injunctive measures identified by the review were used in more than one study, and the review identified no evaluations of DRV interventions that explored whether changes in social norms mediated intervention impact ( Meiksin et al, 2023 ).…”

“…A recent global systematic review reported on the use and quality of measures assessing social norms about DRV and gender, where measures had been tested for their association with DRV outcomes ( Meiksin et al, 2023 ). None of the 40 descriptive and injunctive measures identified by the review were used in more than one study, and the review identified no evaluations of DRV interventions that explored whether changes in social norms mediated intervention impact ( Meiksin et al, 2023 ). Fewer than one-quarter of included measures had been developed using input from young people ( Meiksin et al, 2023 ) despite evidence suggesting that young people might struggle to distinguish between their own and their friends’ views when responding to survey items ( Moreau, 2018 ; Moreau et al, 2021 ).…”