Evaluating the risk factors of dating violence among undergraduates attending a faith-based university.

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2017-03-16

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors of dating violence among undergraduates attending a private, faith-based university and to explore how the context of college dating relationships contribute to dating violence. Nine hundred and forty-six undergraduate students completed an online survey designed to analyze participant demographics, history of interparental violence, alcohol-use, rape myth acceptance, hooking-up behaviors, and history of physical, emotional, and sexual violence. Overall, students reported low-to-moderate rates of dating violence. Heavy alcohol-use and witnessing interparental abuse were found to be significant predictors for dating violence, however religious affiliation, Greek-life, and athletic team membership were not predictors. Overall, 56.2% (n=532) of participants reported they had engaged in a hookup relationship. The risk of experiencing dating violence increased as the hookup relationship became more intimate. Future research should identify campus culture and risk factors of dating violence, as well as explore campus variations across the United States.

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