Adolescent Dating Violence Among Youth Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review

The quality of adolescent dating relationships is an outcome of developmental importance for young people exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) in childhood. As adolescents explore romantic interests for the first time, it is important to consider whether youth who have witnessed IPV have an increased likelihood of adolescent dating violence (ADV) victimization and/or perpetration. This systematic review seeks to synthesize empirical literature on ADV victimization and perpetration outcomes in youth exposed to IPV, examine mechanisms that may explain ADV outcomes in IPV-exposed youth, and summarize methodological factors that influence interpretation of findings. Seven bibliographic databases were searched through August 2020 for a broader evidence and gap mapping (EGM) project examining published empirical studies on child outcomes of IPV exposure. Following de-duplication, 350 empirical studies on child IPV exposure outcomes were identified and categorized into child outcome themes, including 29 studies that examine ADV victimization and/or perpetration among IPV-exposed youth. The association between IPV exposure and ADV perpetration and victimization varies widely, with factors such as gender, mental health symptoms, beliefs about violence, and emotion regulation differentially influencing outcomes. Inconsistencies in measurement of IPV, ADV, and sample ages make cross-study comparisons challenging. Practice and research implications are addressed, including the importance of examining strengths-based youth assets and resilient trajectories of healthy dating relationships among IPV-exposed youth.