Predictors of dating violence among Chinese adolescents: the role of gender-role beliefs and justification of violence.
In Chinese societies, violence among adolescent dating partners remains a largely ignored and invisible phenomenon. The goal of this study is to examine the relationships among gender-role beliefs, attitudes justifying dating violence, and the experiences of dating-violence perpetration and victimization among Chinese adolescents. This study has used self-reporting measures to collect data from a probability sample of 976 adolescents (mean age = 15.9) in three Chinese societies: Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Research results reveal a high prevalence of dating violence (including physical violence, sexual violence, and controlling behavior) among Chinese adolescents with dating experience: the perpetration rate is 27.3% and the victimization rate is 39%. Study results demonstrate that adolescents who endorse traditional gender-role beliefs tend to view dating violence as acceptable behavior. Boys' endorsement of traditional gender roles, boys' attitudes justifying boy-on-girl violence, and boys' attitudes against girl-on-boy violence predict boys' actual sexual-violence behavior. Moreover, boys' attitudes justifying boy-on-girl dating violence is the strongest predictor of boys' perpetration of physical and sexual dating violence. This study also shows that boys' hostility is a significant predictor of boys' controlling behavior. Programs for preventing dating violence should include components designed to challenge traditional gender-role beliefs and attitudes justifying dating violence.
National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. acshen@ntu.edu.tw
April Chiung-Tao
AC
Shen
Marcus Yu-Lung
MY
Chiu
Jianxiu
J
Gao
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001290:Attitude; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003380:Courtship; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult