Perpetration of Adolescent Dating Violence: Child Abuse, Attitudes, Impulsivity, Reactive and Proactive Aggression; Automatic or Complex Processes?

Adolescent dating violence (ADV) research has neglected the environmental factors at play in contexts of perpetration. This study, conducted in Chile, investigated the socio-cognitive processes inherent to the relationship between child abuse and ADV perpetration by examining the association between child abuse, impulsivity, reactive aggression, proactive aggression, attitudes that rationalize or justify ADV, and actual ADV perpetration. Data were collected from 655 adolescents using self-reported measures of child abuse, impulsivity, reactive and proactive aggression, attitudes justifying ADV, and ADV perpetration using structural equation modeling.

[Association of adolescent dating violence as victim or perpetrator with childhood maltreatment].

Background: Childhood maltreatment extends beyond this stage of development, impacting adolescence and adulthood, and even adolescent dating violence. Adolescence is an essential transitional stage, so dating violence puts development at risk. In Chile, studies on adolescent dating violence are just emerging and still show a gap.