Abstract
Dating violence during adolescence is a major public health issue: it is highly prevalent and extensive research has documented its physical and psychological consequences, yet very little has focused on its sexual consequences. The present study investigated the longitudinal associations between dating violence victimization (psychological, sexual or physical) and sexual well-being (sexual satisfaction and sexual distress) among 1442 sexually active adolescents aged between 14 and 17 years who completed at least one of three data waves (51.1% girls; 45.7% boys; 0.3% non-binary; 3.0% varying gender identity). The study also examined whether these associations differed by gender identity and sexual minority status. Adolescents completed online questionnaires on electronic tablets during class. The results indicated that psychological, physical (except for boys), and sexual dating violence victimization were all associated with lower sexual satisfaction and greater sexual distress over time. Moreover, the between-level associations between dating violence and poorer sexual outcomes were stronger among girls and gender varying adolescents than among boys. The within-level association between physical dating violence and sexual satisfaction was significant among adolescents with a nonvarying sexual minority status, but not among those with a nonvarying heterosexual status or that varied in sexual minority status. Findings offer cues for dating violence prevention and intervention programs by suggesting the need to examine sexual well-being over time.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Availability of Data and Materials
The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Code Availability
Not applicable.
Notes
Data on these participants regarding means, standard deviations, etc., are available from the first author for individuals seeking to conduct meta-analyses on non-binary populations relating to the outcomes investigated in the current study.
References
Amar, A. F., & Alexy, E. M. (2005). “Dissed” by dating violence. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 41(4), 162–171. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6163.2005.00032.x
Bauer, G. R., Braimoh, J., Scheim, A. I., & Dharma, C. (2017). Transgender-inclusive measures of sex/gender for population surveys: Mixed methods evaluation and recommendations. PLoS ONE, 12(5), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0178043
Blais, M., Hébert, M., Bergeron, F. A., & Lapierre, A. (2022). Dating violence experiences among youths with same-gender and multi-gender dating partners: A dyadic concordance type approach. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(7–8), NP3981–NP4005. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520957688
Blunt-Vinti, H. D., Wheldon, C., McFarlane, M., Brogan, N., & Walsh-Buhi, E. R. (2016). Assessing relationship and sexual satisfaction in adolescent relationships formed online and offline. Journal of Adolescent Health, 58(1), 11–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.09.027
Boislard, M. A., van de Bongardt, D., & Blais, M. (2016). Sexuality (and lack thereof) in adolescence and early adulthood: A review of the literature. Behavioral Sciences, 6(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs6010008
Bőthe, B., Vaillancourt-Morel, M. P., Dion, J., Štulhofer, A., & Bergeron, S. (2021). Validity and reliability of the short version of the Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale (PPCS-6-A) in adolescents. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 35(4), 486–500. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000722
Campbell, O., Bann, D., & Patalay, P. (2020). The gender gap in adolescent mental health: A cross-national investigation of 566,827 adolescents across 73 countries. MedRxiv, 2020-06. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.12.20129312.
Carter, M. J. (2014). Gender socialization and identity theory. Social Sciences, 3(2), 242–263. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci3020242
Casique, I. (2019). Gender differences in the sexual well-being of Mexican adolescents. International Journal of Sexual Health, 31(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/19317611.2018.1561587
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Understanding teen dating violence. Author.
Coker, A. L., Clear, E. R., Garcia, L. S., Asaolu, I. O., Cook-Craig, P. G., Brancato, C. J., Williams, C. M., Bush, H. M., & Fisher, B. S. (2014). Dating violence victimization and perpetration rates among high school students. Violence against Women, 20(10), 1220–1238. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801214551289
Connolly, J. A., & McIsaac, C. (2009). Romantic relationships in adolescence. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology: Contextual influences on adolescent development (pp. 104–151). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470479193.adlpsy002005
Dank, M., Lachman, P., Zweig, J. M., & Yahner, J. (2014). Dating violence experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43(5), 846–857. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-9975-8
Derogatis, L., Clayton, A., Lewis-D’Agostino, D., Wunderlich, G., & Fu, Y. (2008). Validation of the Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised for assessing distress in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 5(2), 357–364. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2007.00672.x
Derogatis, L. R., Rosen, R., Leiblum, S., Burnett, A., & Heiman, J. (2002). The Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS): Initial validation of a standardized scale for assessment of sexually related personal distress in women. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 28(4), 317–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/00926230290001448
Dion, J., Smith, K., Dufour, M. P., Paquette, L., Dubreuil, J., & Godbout, N. (2021). The mediating role of dispositional mindfulness in the associations between intimate violence, self-esteem, and distress among adolescents. Mindfulness, 12(12), 3060–3072. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01767-6
Fernandez-Gonzalez, L., Wekerle, C., & Goldstein, A. L. (2012). Measuring adolescent dating violence: Development of ‘Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory’ short form. Advances in Mental Health, 11(1), 35–54. https://doi.org/10.5172/jamh.2012.11.1.35
Furman, W., & Rose, A. J. (2015). Friendships, romantic relationships, and peer relationships. In M. E. Lamb & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology and developmental science: Socioemotional processes (pp. 932–974). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118963418.childpsy322
George, D., & Mallery, P. (2003). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference. 11.0 update (4th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
Girouard, A., Dion, J., Bőthe, B., O’Sullivan, L., & Bergeron, S. (2021). Bullying victimization and sexual wellbeing in sexually active heterosexual, cisgender and sexual/gender minority adolescents: The mediating role of emotion regulation. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 50(11), 2136–2150. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01471-7
Gómez-López, M., Viejo, C., & Ortega-Ruiz, R. (2019). Well-being and romantic relationships: A systematic review in adolescence and emerging adulthood. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(13), 2415. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16132415
Güvenç, R., Hacıoğlu Yıldırım, M., & Yıldırım, E. A. (2022). The overlooked relationship between subtle partner sexual violence and sexual dysfunction? Sexual and Relationship Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681994.2022.2043548
Hamby, S., & Turner, H. (2013). Measuring teen dating violence in males and females: Insights from the national survey of children’s exposure to violence. Psychology of Violence, 3(4), 323–339.
Harden, K. P. (2014). A sex-positive framework for research on adolescent sexuality. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 9(5), 455–496. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614535934
Hébert, M., Blais, M., & Lavoie, F. (2017). Prevalence of teen dating victimization among a representative sample of high school students in Quebec. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 17(3), 225–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2017.06.001
Hellemans, S., Loeys, T., Buysse, A., Dewaele, A., & De Smet, O. (2015a). Intimate partner violence victimization among non-heterosexuals: Prevalence and associations with mental and sexual well-being. Journal of Family Violence, 30(2), 171–188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-015-9669-y
Hellemans, S., Loeys, T., Dewitte, M., De Smet, O., & Buysse, A. (2015b). Prevalence of intimate partner violence victimization and victims’ relational and sexual well-being. Journal of Family Violence, 30(6), 685–698. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-015-9712-z
Hendricks, M. L., & Testa, R. J. (2012). A conceptual framework for clinical work with transgender and gender nonconforming clients: An adaptation of the minority stress model. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 43(5), 460–467.
Hunter, J., Butler, C., & Cooper, K. (2021). Gender minority stress in trans and gender diverse adolescents and young people. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 26(4), 1182–1195. https://doi.org/10.1177/13591045211033187
Johns, M. M., Liddon, N., Jayne, P. E., Beltran, O., Steiner, R. J., & Morris, E. (2018). Systematic mapping of relationship-level protective factors and sexual health outcomes among sexual minority youth: The role of peers, parents, partners, and providers. LGBT Health, 5(1), 6–32. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2017.0053
Kansky, J., & Allen, J. P. (2018). Long-term risks and possible benefits associated with late adolescent romantic relationship quality. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47(7), 1531–1544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-018-0813-x
Kaura, S. A., & Lohman, B. J. (2007). Dating violence victimization, relationship satisfaction, mental health problems, and acceptability of violence: A comparison of men and women. Journal of Family Violence, 22(6), 367–381. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-007-9092-0
Lawrance, K. A., & Byers, E. S. (1992). Development of the interpersonal exchange model of sexual satisfaction in long term relationships. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 1, 123–128.
Lawrance, K. A., & Byers, E. S. (1995). Sexual satisfaction in long-term heterosexual relationships: The interpersonal exchange model of sexual satisfaction. Personal Relationships, 2, 267–285. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.1995.tb00092.x
Li, D. H., Remble, T. A., Macapagal, K., & Mustanski, B. (2019). Stigma on the streets, dissatisfaction in the sheets: Is minority stress associated with decreased sexual functioning among young men who have sex with men? Journal of Sexual Medicine, 16(2), 267–277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2018.12.010
Martin-Storey, A. (2015). Prevalence of dating violence among sexual minority youth: Variation across gender, sexual minority identity and gender of sexual partners. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 44(1), 211–224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-0089-0
Martin-Storey, A., & Fromme, K. (2021). Mediating factors explaining the association between sexual minority status and dating violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(1–2), 132–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517726971
Martin-Storey, A., Pollitt, A. M., & Baams, L. (2021). Profiles and predictors of dating violence among sexual and gender minority adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 68(6), 1155–1161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.08.034
Mauer, V. A., & Reppucci, N. D. (2019). Legal and psychological approaches to understanding and addressing teen dating violence. In B. H. Bornstein, & M. K. Miller (Eds.), Advances in psychology and law: Volume 4 (pp. 277–317). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11042-0_9
Merwin, K. E., & Rosen, N. O. (2019). Perceived partner responsiveness moderates the associations between sexual talk and sexual and relationship well-being in individuals in long-term relationships. Journal of Sex Research, 57(3), 351–364. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2019.1610151
Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674–697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674
Mitchell, K. R., Geary, R., Graham, C., Clifton, S., Mercer, C. H., Lewis, R., Macdowall, W., Datta, J., Johnson, A. M., & Wellings, K. (2016). Sexual function in 16- to 21-year-olds in Britain. Journal of Adolescent Health, 59(4), 422–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.05.017
Mitchell, K. R., Lewis, R., O’Sullivan, L. F., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2021). What is sexual wellbeing and why does it matter for public health? The Lancet Public Health, 6(8), e608–e613. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00099-2
Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (1998–2017). Mplus user’s guide (8th ed.). Author.
Newcomb, M. E., Hill, R., Buehler, K., Ryan, D. T., Whitton, S. W., & Mustanski, B. (2020). High burden of mental health problems, substance use, violence, and related psychosocial factors in transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse youth and young adults. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49(2), 645–659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-019-01533-9
Norris, A. L., & Orchowski, L. M. (2020). Peer victimization of sexual minority and transgender youth: A cross-sectional study of high school students. Psychology of Violence, 10(2), 201–211. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000260
O’Sullivan, L. F., Brotto, L. A., Byers, E. S., Majerovich, J. A., & Wuest, J. A. (2014). Prevalence and characteristics of sexual functioning among sexually experienced middle to late adolescents. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 11(3), 630–641. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsm.12419
O’Sullivan, L. F., Byers, E. S., Brotto, L. A., Majerovich, J. A., & Fletcher, J. (2016). A longitudinal study of problems in sexual functioning and related sexual distress among middle to late adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 59(3), 318–324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.05.001
O’Sullivan, L. F., Byers, E. S., & Dawson, S. J. (2022). Individual and relationship predictors of trajectories of sexual function across adolescent and young adult relationships. Journal of Sex Research, 59(1), 53–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2021.1948497
O'Sullivan, L. F., & Thompson, A. E. (2014). Sexuality in adolescence. In D. L. Tolman, L. M. Diamond, J. A. Bauermeister, W. H. George, J. G. Pfaus, & L. M. Ward (Eds.), APA handbook of sexuality and psychology, Vol. 1. Person-based approaches (pp. 433–486). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/14193-015
Parish, W. L., Wang, T., Laumann, E. O., Pan, S., & Luo, Y. (2004). Intimate partner violence in China: National prevalence, risk factors and associated health problems. International Family Planning Perspectives, 30(4), 174–181. https://doi.org/10.1363/3017404
Petit, M. P., Blais, M., & Hébert, M. (2021). Prevalence, co-occurrence, and recurrence of teen dating violence across dimensions of sexual orientation: A longitudinal study using a representative sample of adolescents. Psychology of Violence, 11(2), 175–187. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000349
Ripper, L., Ciaravino, S., Jones, K., Jaime, M., & Miller, E. (2017). Use of a respondent-generated personal code for matching anonymous adolescent surveys in longitudinal studies. Journal of Adolescent Health, 60(6), 751–753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.01.003
Roberts, A. L., Rosario, M., Corliss, H. L., Koenen, K. C., & Austin, S. B. (2012). Elevated risk of posttraumatic stress in sexual minority youths: Mediation by childhood abuse and gender nonconformity. American Journal of Public Health, 102(8), 1587–1593.
Rotermann, M. (2012). Sexual behaviour and condom use of 15- to 24-year-olds in 2003 and 2009/2010. Health Reports, 23(1), 41–45.
Satorra, A., & Bentler, P. M. (2010). Ensuring positiveness of the scaled difference chi-square test statistic. Psychometrika, 75(2), 243–248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11336-009-9135-y
Seiffge-Krenke, I. (2003). Testing theories of romantic development from adolescence to young adulthood: Evidence of a developmental sequence. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27(6), 519–531. https://doi.org/10.1080/01650250344000145
Sierra, J. C., Arcos-Romero, A. I., Álvarez-Muelas, A., & Cervilla, O. (2021). The impact of intimate partner violence on sexual attitudes, sexual assertiveness, and sexual functioning in men and women. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020594
United Nations General Assembly. (2018). UN Human Rights Council: Preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights in humanitarian settings, A/HRC/39/L.13/Rev.1. https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/G18/286/90/PDF/G1828690.pdf?OpenElement
Valdivia-Salas, S., Lombas, A. S., Jiménez, T. I., Lucas-Alba, A., & Villanueva-Blasco, V. J. (2022). Profiles and risk factors for teen dating violence in Spain. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 38, 4267–4294. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605221114305
Weinrich, J. D. (2014). On the design, development, and testing of sexual identity questions: A discussion and analysis of Kristen Miller and J. Michael Ryan’s work for the National Health Interview Survey. Journal of Bisexuality, 14, 502–523. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2014.952052
Wincentak, K., Connolly, J., & Card, N. (2017). Teen dating violence: A meta-analytic review of prevalence rates. Psychology of Violence, 7(2), 224–241.
Whitton, S. W., Newcomb, M. E., Messinger, A. M., Byck, G., & Mustanski, B. (2019). A longitudinal study of IPV victimization among sexual minority youth. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 34(5), 912–945. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260516646093
Wolfe, D. A., Scott, K., Reitzel-Jaffe, D., Wekerle, C., Grasley, C., & Straatman, A.-L. (2001). Development and validation of the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory. Psychological Assessment, 13(2), 277–293. https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.13.2.277
Yurek, L. A., Vasey, J., & Sullivan Havens, D. (2008). The use of self-generated identification codes in longitudinal research. Evaluation Review, 32(5), 435–452. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193841X08316676
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Mylène Desrosiers and Camélia Dubois for their assistance with data collection.
Funding
This work was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research awarded to Sophie Bergeron and Jacinthe Dion.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Conceptualization was contributed by Jacinthe Dion, Martine Hébert, Gentiana Sadikaj, Alice Girouard, Natacha Godbout, Alexa Martin-Storey, Martin Blais, and Sophie Bergeron. Methodology was contributed by Jacinthe Dion and Sophie Bergeron. Formal analysis was contributed by Gentiana Sadikaj. Investigation was contributed by Jacinthe Dion, Martine Hébert, Gentiana Sadikaj, Alice Girouard, Natacha Godbout, Alexa Martin-Storey, Martin Blais, and Sophie Bergeron. Writing—original draft preparation was contributed by Jacinthe Dion. Writing—review and editing was contributed by Martine Hébert, Alice Girouard, Natacha Godbout, Alexa Martin-Storey, Martin Blais, and Sophie Bergeron. Funding acquisition was contributed by Jacinthe Dion and Sophie Bergeron. Resources were contributed by Jacinthe Dion and Sophie Bergeron.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.
Informed Consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. In Quebec (Canada), adolescents can provide their own informed consent from age 14. Not relying on parental consent can ensure the safety of students involved in the study and can prevent sampling biases that may distort the results.
Research Involving Human Participants and/or Animals
Research involved human participants. Approval was obtained from the ethics committee of University du Québec à Chicoutimi and the Université de Montréal. The study was carried out under the Declaration of Helsinki.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Dion, J., Hébert, M., Sadikaj, G. et al. Dating Violence Trajectories in Adolescence: How Do They Relate to Sexual Outcomes in Canada?. Arch Sex Behav 52, 2749–2765 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02625-3
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02625-3