About one in three American youths aged 14-20 say they’ve been victims of dating violence and almost one in three acknowledge they’ve committed violence toward a dating partner, according to new research presented at the American Psychological Association’s 121st Annual Convention. A summary of the presentation and links to related presentations (on the relationship between bullying and dating violence, and on the role of cultural factors in dating violence among Latino youth) can be found on the American Psychological Association website.

As with all research, this study is subject to limitations related to its design, sample and measurement. The research suggests that dating violence experiences are common among young people, and that overlaps between victimization and perpetration, and across different forms of dating abuse  appear to be typical. The researchers conclude that efforts to reduce dating violence might benefit from consideration of dynamics within relationships that may result in non-defensive retaliatory behavior, as well as the extent to which dating violence may occur in different relationships.