Predictors of dating violence perpetration in adolescents: Sex differences

This study intended to identify individual and microsystem variables predicting the use of dating violence (DV) and to compare the women and men who perpetrated DV in relation to these variables, among 1659 Colombian adolescents aged 13 to 19 years (54% women), using the CADRI, the BASC-S3, the SCL-90-R and two previously validated questionnaires. The frequency of DV experienced, the scores on the SCL-90-R psychoticism and depression scales, the duration of the relationship, the scores on the BASC-S3 negative attitude toward school scale and the number of violent physical punishments, explained 73.4% of the variance in perpetration: F(6, 1659) = 70.43, p = .000, R2ajustado = .73. Women showed significantly (p < .05) more psychopathological symptoms, suicide attempts and clinical maladjustment, and men more school maladjustment and sensation seeking. These results point to the need to consider sex differences in the prevention of DV.