Adolescent Relationship Violence in Brazil and Honduras

Abstract

There is a strong evidence to show that adolescent relationship violence (during non-cohabitating relationships of namoro in Portuguese, noviazgo in Spanish) can lead to adult intimate partner violence (IPV). However, research and interventions addressing violence among adolescents are limited compared to those focused on adult IPV, and they are especially scarce in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. As a result, policies and programs in the region miss out on significant opportunities to promote nonviolent relationships throughout life. In order to advance research in the region and improve potential strategies toward addressing the problem, Promundo and the Inter-American Development Bank led a qualitative study in 2015. The study focused on risk and protective factors surrounding adolescent IPV. In Brazil , fieldwork was conducted in an urban site (Rio de Janeiro) and a rural site (Codó, in the northeastern state of Maranhão). In Honduras , partners carried out research in urban (Tegucigalpa) and rural sites (in the department of Intibucá).1 The teams conducted focus groups and a total of 147 in-depth interviews with girls/young women and boys/young men aged 14 to 24 years. The age range captured younger adolescents’ recent dating experiences and young adults’ reflections on past relationships.