Understanding Pathways to Physical Teen Dating Violence: Social Learning Theory vs. Birds of a Feather Hypothesis

Despite the consistent occurrence of physical teen dating violence perpetration, the mediational pathways of personal and peer justification of physical dating violence perpetration longitudinally have remained understudied. Thus, utilizing the social learning and homophily models, the current study examined (a) the indirect effects of associating with peers who justify teen dating violence on the link between personal justification and physical teen dating violence perpetration (b) the mediational role of personal justification of teen dating violence on the link between associating with peers who justify teen dating violence and physical dating violence perpetration.

Data collected from a sample of high school-aged youth followed across three waves of data were analyzed. Generalized structural equation modeling was used to determine whether or not the social learning or homophily frameworks helped to explain teen dating violence perpetration.

Results indicated that personal justification of teen dating violence did not mediate the association between peer justification and physical teen dating violence perpetration. However, peer justification of teen dating violence explained the association between personal justification and physical dating violence perpetration. Findings suggest support of the homophily framework.

Adolescents who hold attitudes justifying teen dating violence were more likely to associate with peers who maintain similar attitudes, which increased the risk of physical teen dating violence. Disruption of peer groups characterized by justification of teen dating violence is one potential means of reducing incidence of the behavior.