Dating Violence Among Emerging Adults

Presenter: Claire Burke Draucker, PhD, RN, FAAN

Dating violence is a significant problem among emerging adults and is associated with a wide variety of mental health concerns. While there has been considerable attention to dating violence among adolescents, less is known about dating violence among emerging adults. This presentation will argue that this developmental stage (ages 18 to 29) offers unique challenges that make dating violence of particular concern. This presentation will include information on the prevalence of dating violence in this population, risk and protective factors, and mental health correlates. In addition, a theoretical framework developed by the presenter’s research team will be presented. The framework identifies types of dating violence events, relationships, and patterns across time. Evidence-based interventions for dating violence will be discussed.