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Longitudinal Association of Suicidal Ideation and Physical Dating Violence among High School Students

  • Empirical Research
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Abstract

Two salient problems in adolescent development are dating violence and suicidal ideation. Theory and empirical research have supported their association in primarily cross-sectional studies. The purpose of this study is to examine the longitudinal association between physical dating violence and suicidal ideation (thoughts or plans) in a cohort of students evaluated annually from Grades 9 to 12. The sample consisted of 556 random-selected students (50.2 % males; 47.5 % White, 37.8 % Black, 11.2 % Latino) who reported dating at least once during the four assessments. Self-reported frequency of suicidal ideation, dating, and physical dating violence perpetration and victimization were assessed each spring from ninth to twelfth grade. We used generalized estimating equations modeling to predict the effects of sex, race, school grade, and physical dating perpetration and victimization on suicidal ideation. Cumulatively, one-fourth of the sample reported suicidal ideation at least once by the end of Grade 12, and approximately half reported physical dating violence. Female gender (OR = 1.7, p = 0.02), physical dating perpetration (OR = 1.54, p = 0.048), physical dating victimization (OR = 2.03, p < 0.001), and being in grades 9–11 versus 12 in high school (OR = 1.83, p = 0.004) were significant predictors of suicidal ideation. Race was not a significant predictor among adolescents in this sample. This longitudinal study highlights the detrimental emotional effect of physical dating violence perpetration and victimization among high school students. It is important that suicide prevention programs incorporate physical dating violence education and prevention strategies starting early in high school.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Cooperative Agreement U81/CCU417778 and research grants R01 CE001397 and R49 CE000562. The findings and conclusions in this study are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the funder.

Authors’ contribution

LN performed statistical analyses, drafted the manuscript, and participated in the design of the study. PO is the principal investigator of the longitudinal study, conceived of the study, and helped to draft introduction and conclusions sections; XS participated in the design and supervised the interpretation of results; KH participated in the design and helped to draft the conclusions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Health Promotion and Behavior, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Lusine Nahapetyan, Pamela Orpinas & Kristin Holland

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

    Xiao Song

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  1. Lusine Nahapetyan
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  2. Pamela Orpinas
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  3. Xiao Song
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  4. Kristin Holland
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Correspondence to Lusine Nahapetyan.

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Nahapetyan, L., Orpinas, P., Song, X. et al. Longitudinal Association of Suicidal Ideation and Physical Dating Violence among High School Students. J Youth Adolescence 43, 629–640 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-0006-6

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