Youth intimate partner violence: prevalence, characteristics, associated factors and arenas of violence

Abstract

Internationally, it is established that many youth experience violence within their romantic intimate relationships (youth intimate partner violence, Youth IPV). In Sweden, however, despite a well-developed research field on domestic violence and violence against children, knowledge about the prevalence of Youth IPV remains lacking. Therefore, taking its starting point in a mixed-method study on youth IPV in Sweden, this study presents incidence rates of Youth IPV victimization in a sample of Swedish youth, as well as associated factors to such victimization. Arenas of violence-i.e. settings where the violence takes place-are also addressed. In total, 59.7% (n = 526) of study respondents reported having experienced some form of IPV either once or multiple times. The results suggest gender differences: girls reported higher rates of victimization, especially for multiple experiences of violence. Markers for IPV victimization are presented. It is shown that Youth IPV happens in arenas to which adults have access. Viable markers for victimization are suggested; furthermore, the belief that 'only at-risk youth experience IPV' is challenged. It is critical that Youth IPV be considered a social problem in Sweden, deserving of specific attention and interventions. Youth IPV does not happen behind closed doors, but under the same roof as adults who have the obligation to protect them (i.e. parents and school staff) and this offers unique opportunities to respond and help. Further research should investigate the support offered to IPV-exposed youth, thereby shifting the focus to how this social problem is tackled.

Young People’s Understanding of Coercive Control in Northern Ireland

“…It is estimated that 1 in 4 adolescent girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years of age have already been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime (WHO, 2021 ); less is known about adolescent males’ experiences in this regard. Reported IPV rates among young people in the United States (US) are between 20 – 29.4% (Foshee et al, 2013 ; Gehring & Vaske, 2017 ), 59.7% in Sweden (Korkmaz et al, 2020 ) and 66–75% within the United Kingdom (UK) (Barter et al, 2015 ). Differences in methodologies, target samples and measurement tools result in limited potential for country comparisons as well as accuracy in the rate of young people’s experiences of IPV.…”

“…Previous research highlights that young people are exposed to different types of violence similar to adult relationships, as well as digital and technology-enabled abuse (Dank et al, 2014 ; Korkmaz et al, 2020 ; Patton et al, 2014 ). To date, the most prevalent categorisation of IPV within the research literature is still physical and sexual violence (Duval et al, 2018 ; Postmus et al, 2020 ); however, as previously noted, IPV can take many forms including non-physical forms of abuse such as those categorised under coercive and controlling behaviours.…”

Assessing the use of clinical guidelines against domestic violence in southern Sweden: A mixed‐methods study

“…In Sweden, 25% of women and 17% of men have been estimated to have experienced IPV [5], and over half of 15‐ to 19‐year‐olds have reported exposure [6]. During 2014–2020, 124 persons (106 women) were killed by a partner [7, 8].…”

Callous Lovers and Frightening Victims: How emotional contradictions affect young people’s navigation of sexually abusive relationships

“…Gender affects young victims' exposure to and experiences of IPV. Victimized girls seem to suffer more severe consequences than do victimized boys (Romito et al, 2013), and girls seem to be subjected to more sexual IPV compared to boys (Barter et al, 2017;Korkmaz et al, 2022). Gender norms are key to understanding both young people's intimate relationships and IPV (Barter & Lombard, 2019;Davies, 2019).…”