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Legal and Psychological Approaches to Understanding and Addressing Teen Dating Violence

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Advances in Psychology and Law

Part of the book series: Advances in Psychology and Law ((APL,volume 4))

Abstract

This chapter examines the intersection of legal and psychological research relevant to juvenile dating relationships, with a focus on victimization and perpetration of sexual assault and intimate partner violence (IPV). To begin, the authors present an overview of the state of psychological research on male–female teen dating relationships focusing specifically on teen dating violence (TDV). In this overview, the authors review rates of perpetration and victimization of these acts in young people’s dating relationships, describe theoretical frameworks psychologists use to conceptualize TDV, and distinguish TDV from adult IPV. By providing the distinctions between adult and teenage IPV, the authors set a structure by which the chapter examines legal responses to TDV and the ways in which the law’s approach is and is not appropriate for addressing the distinct differences in dating violence perpetrated and experienced by juveniles. Specifically, the authors question whether juveniles’ relationships qualify them for protective orders and what provisions are appropriate for prosecuting statutory relationships. The chapter calls for legal scholars to understand and explore ways to incorporate psychology’s understanding of the emergent nature of adulthood in adolescence and how it addresses juveniles’ maturity to make legally sound decisions in the context of dating relationships. Finally, the chapter concludes with a call for TDV prevention and provides commentary on the need to address teens’ problematic perceptions and justifications for relationship abuse, the need to incorporate prevention programming in schools, and ways to approach prevention with teens’ peers , parents, and other significant adults.

This chapter refers to dating violence in the context of juvenile relationships as “Teen Dating Violence” (TDV) to remain consistent with social science researchers’ terminology. However, we must acknowledge that TDV is evident even in preadolescence and prevention and legal response efforts should not only be targeted at teen dating relationships, but younger juvenile relationships as well.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Due to space restrictions this chapter primarily focuses on heterosexual teen dating relationships. Teen dating violence in same-sex relationships, and involving teens who are gender nonconforming, raises a host of other issues, especially because LGBT youth are at higher risk than heterosexual youth for many, if not all, types of teen dating violence victimization (Dank, Lachman, Zweig, & Yahner, 2014). For an overview of LGBT youths’ experiences with dating violence, see: Freedner, Freed, Yang, and Austin (2002) and Dank et al. (2014).

  2. 2.

    See King-Ries (2010) for further information on the prevalence of and need for legal response for technology-aided abuse, in particular for teenagers.

  3. 3.

    The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act provides federal funding for assistance to victims of domestic violence and their children, including funding for domestic violence emergency shelters.

  4. 4.

    The Victims of Crime Act of 1984 provides grants to fund survivor support agencies such as domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers.

  5. 5.

    The original Violence Against Women Act (1994) was a bipartisan effort to improve the nation’s response to domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual violence. It provides federal resources to support community-based approaches to combating violence against women, legal assistance programs for victims, and recognizes these acts of violence as criminal. It was reauthorized most recently in 2013.

  6. 6.

    See Hilton and Harris (2009) for an overview of the history of changes in domestic violence policies.

  7. 7.

    See Largio (2007) for an in-depth review of descriptive and factor approaches to defining dating relationships.

  8. 8.

    See Wilson v. State (2007), a case in which 17-year-old Genarlow Wilson was convicted of statutory rape and sentenced to 10 years in prison after having oral sex with a 15-year-old who, although willingly participating in the act, was deemed by Georgia law unable to legally consent.

  9. 9.

    See: Foshee et al. (1996) for information on the development of Safe Dates, including its theoretical and content structure.

  10. 10.

    See: Taylor, Stein, Woods, and Mumford (2011) for further information on the development and evaluation of Shifting Boundaries.

  11. 11.

    See Tharp et al. (2011) and Tharp (2012) for further information on Dating Matters’ program components, evaluation components, and implementation efforts.

  12. 12.

    See Weisberg (2013) for more information on federal policies to fund and promote TDV prevention programming .

  13. 13.

    For further information on the Safe Dates program see Foshee et al. (1996, 1998, 2004, 2008).

  14. 14.

    See Weisberg (2013) and Pensak (2015) for further information on state legislation addressing adolescent dating violence prevention in schools.

  15. 15.

    See Storer, Casey, and Herrenkohl (2015) for a review of the literature on bystander programs’ efficacy in preventing dating violence amongst youth.

  16. 16.

    There are other groups at high risk of exhibiting dating abuse in adolescent dating relationships (e.g., low income, African American youth; Black et al., 2006; Henry & Zeytinoglu, 2012), but reviewing research findings about these groups are beyond the scope of this paper. It is important to note that further research clarifying why these groups are at risk for exhibiting higher levels of relationship abuse is necessary to develop properly targeted intervention programming most likely to be effective with such groups.

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Correspondence to Victoria A. Mauer .

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Mauer, V.A., Reppucci, N.D. (2019). Legal and Psychological Approaches to Understanding and Addressing Teen Dating Violence. In: Bornstein, B., Miller, M. (eds) Advances in Psychology and Law. Advances in Psychology and Law, vol 4. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11042-0_9

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