Definition

Dating violence among adolescents (grades 9-12) is measured by the question: "Among students who dated or went out with someone during the past 12 months, the percentage who had been physically hurt on purpose by someone they were dating or going out with one or more times during the past 12 months."

Numerator

Number of adolescents (students in grades 9-12) with responses of 1 to 6 or more times to the question: "During the past 12 months, how many times did someone you were dating or going out with physically hurt you on purpose? (Count such things as being hit, slammed into something, or injured with an object or weapon.)

Denominator

Number of adolescents (students in grade 9-12) who were dating or went out with someone during the past 12 months with complete and valid responses.

Data Interpretation Issues

The question on dating violence changed in 2013 to "During the past 12 months, how many times did someone you were dating hurt you on purpose? (Count such things as being hit, slammed into something, or injured with an object or weapon." from "During the past 12 months, did your boyfriend or girlfriend ever hit, slap, or physically hurt you
on purpose?" Changes in wording from "boyfriend or girlfriend" to "someone you were dating or going out with"; the description of harm from "ever hit, slapped, or physically hurt" to enumerated "hit, slammed into something, or injured with an object or weapon"; changes in response categories from yes or no to number of times; and restriction to those dating or going out rather all students affect the prevalence rates. Responses to the two questions are not equivalent and are presented separately.

Why Is This Important?

The prevalence of sexual violence and intimate partner violence is a major public health concern in Alaska. Witnessing or being a victim of domestic violence is associated with high rates of fair-to-poor assessments of general health, asthma diagnoses, current smoking, and lack of emotional support. Individuals diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression have some of the highest prevalence of sexual and intimate partner violence.

Healthy People Objective IVP-39.1:

(Developmental) Reduce physical violence by current or former intimate partners
U.S. Target: Developmental
State Target: Healthy Alaskans 2020 Target: 11%

Other Objectives

Healthy Alaskans 2020 Target: 8%

Evidence-based Practices

As part of the Healthy Alaskans 2020 health improvement process, groups of Alaskan subject matter experts met over a period of months in a rigorous review process to identify and prioritize strategies to address the 25 health priorities. Public health partners around the state are aligning work around these approaches adapted to Alaska's unique needs. Below are the strategies identified for enhancing adolescent support systems.

Strategy 1:
Build community capacity for prevention.

Evidence Base:
The standard for community-based dating violence prevention work in Alaska is based on the prevention model developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Working with communities to build their capacity to support the work of prevention is the first step towards building comprehensive programming. Comprehensive programming coordinates strategies across multiple settings and populations within each community. Coordinated programming that includes multiple types of activities across multiple settings and populations is most effective in changing the behaviors, beliefs, and norms that impact the incidence of dating violence.

Sources:
Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA): http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/DELTA/index.html?s_cid=cd_281
CDC Prevention Strategies:
http://www.cdc.gov/prc/prevention-strategies/index.htm
ANDVSA Pathways Statewide Prevention:
http://www.andvsa.org/pathways-statewide-prevention/
Sabol WJ, Coulton CJ, Korbin JE. Building Community Capacity for Violence Prevention. J
Interpers Violence. 2004; 19(3): 322-340.
Chavis DM. Building community capacity to prevent violence through coalitions and partnerships. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 1995; 6(2): 234-245.

Strategy 2:*
Promote values and beliefs that reinforce safe and healthy relationships.

Evidence Base:
This strategy emerges from the social norms approach where inaccurate perceptions about norms, values, beliefs, and risk and protective factors are corrected to facilitate health promotion and violence prevention. Social norms interventions have been successfully used by other prevention efforts (e.g., obesity prevention, binge drinking, and tobacco cessation). Research is starting to show positive impacts on violence prevention.

Strategy 3:*
Implement evidence-based school violence prevention programs.

Evidence Base:
Schools provide an important setting for dating violence prevention because "they are a setting in which much interpersonal aggression among children occurs and the only setting with almost universal access to children" (Wilson and Lipsey, 2007). This provides schools with a unique opportunity to intervene and to prevent dating violence. Universal or comprehensive approaches, such as the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model, have been found to be particularly effective. The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model is an ecological approach that "responds to the call for greater alignment, integration, and collaboration between health and education to improve each child's cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development" (ASCD, 2014). School connectedness is an important protective factor that provides a foundation for effective prevention efforts.

* Sources for Strategy 2 and Strategy 3 can be found at http://hss.state.ak.us/ha2020/assets/EBS/HA2020_EBS13_DatingViolence-Youth.pdf.

Related Indicators

Related Relevant Population Characteristics Indicator Profiles:

Poverty - All Persons At Or Above Poverty Threshold (HA2020 Leading Health Indicator: 24)

Related Risk Factors Indicator Profiles:

Related Health Status Outcomes Indicator Profiles:

Graphical Data Views

Percentage of adolescents (students in grades 9-12 in traditional high schools) who were hurt on purpose by someone they were dating during the past 12 months, all Alaskans, Alaska Natives, and U.S., 2013-2020

Starting in 2013, the question was: "During the past 12 months, how many times did someone you were dating hurt you on purpose? (Count such things as being hit, slammed into something, or injured with an object or weapon." with responses from 0 times to 6 or more times.

Alaska Comparisons	Year	Percentage of adolescents	Lower Limit	Upper Limit
Record Count: 7
All Alaskans	2013	9.1%	7.3%	11.2%
Alaska Natives	2013	10.3%	6.9%	15.1%
U.S.	2013	10.4%	9.4%	11.5%
Healthy Alaskans Goal	2013	8.0%
Healthy Alaskans Goal	2015	8.0%
Healthy Alaskans Goal	2017	8.0%
Healthy Alaskans Goal	2019	8.0%

Data Notes

Healthy Alaskans 2020 Target: 8%

** Data Not Available. Traditional high schools are public high schools that are distinct from correspondence schools, alternative high schools, which serve students at risk of not graduating, and students enrolled in high school in correctional facilities. Healthy Alaskans 2020 goals were established using results from traditional high school students.

Data Sources

Alaska Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, Section of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, School Health and YRBS Program
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion