Prevalence and factors associated with dating violence among public school adolescents

Abstract

Objective: Identify the prevalence and factors associated with dating violence among school adolescents. Method: Quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study, conducted in a state public school in Recife, Pernambuco, in August 2018, with 270 adolescents, aged between 12 and 19 years, from middle and high school. A form was applied with questions about the characterization of the adolescents, the experience of dating relationships, and the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory. Pearson’s chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence of physical, sexual, and psychological victimization was 31.9%, 36.4% and 81.8%, respectively. An association was identified between religious affiliation (p = 0.002), sexual orientation of the participants (p = 0.027), and parents’ education (p = 0.015) and physical victimization during dating. Conclusion: Individual and contextual aspects related to dating violence among adolescents imply the need for the involvement of the school nurse in intersectoral and interdisciplinary health interventions.