title: Prevalence and risk factors for intimate partner violence among Grade 8 learners in urban South Africa: baseline analysis from the Skhokho Supporting Success cluster randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health problem among adolescents. This study investigated the prevalence of and factors associated with Grade 8 girls' experience and boys' perpetration of IPV in South Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were interviewed using interviewer-administered questionnaires about IPV, childhood violence, bullying, gender attitudes, alcohol use and risky sexual behaviours. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess factors associated with girls' experience and boys' perpetration of IPV. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted to assess the pathways to IPV experience and perpetration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results show dating relationships are common among girls (52.5%) and boys (70.7%) and high prevalence of sexual or physical IPV experience by girls (30.9%; 95% CI: 28.2-33.7) and perpetration by boys (39.5%; 95% CI: 36.6-42.3). The logistic regression model showed factors associated with girls' experience of IPV include childhood experience of violence, individual gender inequitable attitudes, corporal punishment at home and in school, alcohol use, wider communication with one's partner and being more negative about school. We found three pathways from childhood trauma to IPV experience and perpetration in both models and these are through inequitable gender attitudes and risky sex, bullying and alcohol use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevention of IPV in children needs to encompass prevention of exposure to trauma in childhood and addressing gender attitudes and social norms to encourage positive disciplining approaches. : The trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT02349321.
authors.affiliation: Gender and Health Research Unit, Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa School of Public Health, Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg, South Africa Foundation for Professional Development, Pretoria, South Africa shamuts@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Simukai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shamu
authors.affiliation: Independent Consultant, Cape Town, South Africa Adolescent and Health Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Anik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gevers
authors.affiliation: Gender and Health Research Unit, Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa School of Public Health, Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: B Pinky
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Mahlangu
authors.affiliation: Gender and Health Research Unit, Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa School of Public Health, Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: P Nwabisa
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Jama Shai
authors.affiliation: Gender and Health Research Unit, Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: Esnat D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Chirwa
authors.affiliation: Gender and Health Research Unit, Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa School of Public Health, Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Rachel K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Jewkes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D058445:Bullying / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D000066511:Intimate Partner Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Adolescents; Intimate partner violence; Prevalence; Risk factors; Schools; South Africa