Adolescent dating violence prevention and intervention in a community setting: perspectives of young adults and professionals

Adolescent dating violence (ADV) is a significant community problem. In this study, we examine the perspectives of two groups (young adults who experienced ADV as teens and professionals who work with teens) on ADV prevention/intervention in a community context. We interviewed 88 young adults and 20 professionals. Our research team used Thorne's (2008) interpretive description methods to determine participants' perspectives on community views on ADV, community ADV prevention/intervention programs, and ideal ADV prevention/intervention strategies. Participants perceived most communities as being blind to ADV. They perceived prevention programs as unavailable, inappropriate, or impersonal. Young adults indicated that professionals should use a gradual approach with teens experiencing ADV. Participants suggested that ideal prevention programs should include personal development and education. Helping professionals can use these findings to develop effective community-based ADV prevention/intervention programs. Keywords: Adolescents, Dating Violence, Community Context, Qualitative, Interpretive Description