Adolescent dating violence and Peplau's dimensions of the self.

Background: Adolescent dating violence (ADV) is a significant public health problem. Despite an association between ADV and lowered self-esteem, little research has examined identity issues in persons who have experienced ADV.

Objectives: To use Peplau's model of the dimensions of the self to describe identity concerns in those who experienced ADV.

Design: Verbatim comments that met Peplau's definitions of self-statements were extracted from the narratives of 50 young adults who had taken part in an ongoing qualitative study on ADV. The statements were coded into Peplau's dimensions using content analysis.

Results: 175 verbatim sentences were extracted from the narratives. The statements addressed 16 different personal characteristics, including strength, sociability, and aggressiveness.

Conclusions: Individuals who have experienced ADV have a number of concerns related to self-concept. Recommendations are made regarding how these concerns may be addressed with investigative counseling, as described by Peplau.