Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Dating violence constitutes a serious social and health problem. This study aims to increase knowledge on dating violence in emerging adulthood by analysing the relevance of gender and of having or not having a current partner in the victimization and perpetration of such violence.
The participants were Spanish emerging adults who were assessed by six self-report questionnaires and scales. Men reported more psychological and physical violence victimization and physical violence perpetration than women, and women and men without a current partner reported more psychological and sexual violence than women and men with a current partner. Dating violence victimization was associated with more mental symptomatology, less life satisfaction, and lower self-esteem in men with a current partner and in women without a current partner.
The main predictor of dating violence victimization was dating violence perpetration, and the main predictor of dating violence perpetration was victimization by such violence.
More traditional gender role attitudes also predicted greater victimization and perpetration of dating violence, except among women without a current partner. Dating violence among adolescents and young adults is considered to be any type of intentional aggression by one partner against the other during dating [ 1 ]. It is a type of intimate partner violence IPV. IPV refers to aggression or abuse that occurs in a romantic relationship and refers to both current and former spouses and dating partners [ 2 ].
Whereas no consensus exists on the definition of dating violence [ 3 ], such a term refers to violence within an unmarried partnership in the context of dating or courtship, generally referring to adolescents or young adults [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Although IPV can vary in terms of frequency and severity [ 2 ], IPV can comprise physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, and psychological aggression, including coercive tactics, by a current or a former intimate partner [ 7 ].
