Male Perpetration of Adolescent Dating Violence: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Male violence against females most often occurs within intimate relationships, and when that occurs during youth, it is termed adolescent dating violence (ADV). A scoping review focused on male perpetration of ADV was conducted to synthesize existing evidence and offer insights about what influences male adolescents to perpetrate ADV. The current scoping review explored the findings drawn from 16 research studies conducted in the United States, Spain, South Africa, and Italy, to distil modifiable factors related to male perpetration of ADV. Three themes were extrapolated from the 16 studies: (a) entitlement; (b) adverse childhood experiences (ACE); and (c) ineffective conflict management. Entitlement as a theme was characterized by attitudes and beliefs aligning to violence, hierarchical and marginalizing masculine norms, traditional gender roles, and male superiority, which in various configurations influenced the perpetration of ADV. ACE as a theme highlighted how male adolescents who had experienced, observed, and/or initiated abuse were at increased risk of perpetrating ADV. Male adolescents with ineffective conflict management (theme 3), including alcohol use and/or emotional dysregulation, were also at higher risk of perpetrating ADV. Tailored prevention efforts are often delinked from issues of male entitlement, ACE, and ineffective conflict management; therefore, we make suggestions for trauma-informed care to guide primary care providers (PCPs) in the assessment and management of ADV.