A longitudinal perspective on dating violence among adolescent and college-age women.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated physical assault in dating relationships and its co-occurrence with sexual assault from high school through college.


METHODS
Two classes of university women (n = 1569) completed 5 surveys during their 4 years in college.


RESULTS
Women who were physically assaulted as adolescents were at greater risk for revictimization during their freshman year (relative risk = 2.96); each subsequent year, women who have experienced violence remained at greater risk for revictimization than those who have not. Across all years, women who were physically assaulted in any year were significantly more likely to be sexually assaulted that same year. Adolescent victimization was a better predictor of college victimization than was childhood victimization.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a need for dating violence prevention/intervention programs in high school and college and for research on factors that reduce revictimization.
Smith
Paige Hall
PH
Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 27402-6170, USA. phsmith@uncg.edu
White
Jacquelyn W
JW
Holland
Lindsay J
LJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D003380:Courtship; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D011902:Rape / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D014495:Universities; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*