Gender differences in risk behaviors among adolescents who experience datefighting

Objective. Although dating violence frequently begins during adolescence, f ew studies have focused on date fighting in middle and high school students . Fewer studies have studied gender differences in date violence. This stud y examines whether gender-specific patterns of risk behaviors exist among a dolescents who report date fighting. Design. The study was conducted on data collected from 21 297 students in g rades 8 through 12 participating in the Vermont 1995 Youth Risk Behavior Su rvey. Data were analyzed on 20 724 students (females = 50.1%) who reported: 1) never having been involved in a physical fight (n = 8737); 2) that thei r last physical fight was with a girlfriend, boyfriend, or other dating par tner (n = 432); and 3) that their last fight was with someone other than a dating partner (n = 11 555). Indicators of violence (weapon carrying, being threatened, and fighting), suicide attempts, substance use, sexual behavio r, and pregnancy were analyzed with chi(2) tests. Significant variables wer e analyzed with stepwise logistic regression. Results. Of the males, 1.8% and of the females, 4.2% reported that their la st fight was with a boyfriend, girlfriend, or dating partner. Risk behavior s significantly associated among females who only experienced date fighting included the number of male sexual partners in the past 3 months (adjusted odds ratio: 1.48; 95% confidence interval: 1.26-1.74), number of suicide a ttempts in the past 12 months (1.55; 1.30-1.85), riding in a car with a dri nking driver (1.23; 1.10-1.37), injection of illegal drugs (2.87; 1.10-7.50 ), use of alcohol before last sexual encounter (1.53; 1.27-1.86), number of pregnancies (1.66; 1.26-2.21), forced sex (2.92; 2.18-3.91), and inhalant use (1.19; 1.06-1.34). Risk behaviors significantly associated among males who experienced only date fighting were sexual activity (4.11; 2.24-7.53), number of male partners in the past 3 months (1.40; 1.12-1.75), number of t imes of getting someone pregnant (1.68; 1.17-2.40), experiencing forced sex (2.38; 1.11-5.13), and the number of times threatened with physical violen ce in past 12 months (1.82; 1.53-2.17). When compared with adolescents who reported fighting with someone other than a date, risk factors significantl y associated with date fighting among females were the number of male sexua l partners in the past 3 months (1.21; 1.10-1.34), older age (1.21; 1.10-1. 34), carrying a weapon in the past 30 days (.77; .66-.90), experiencing for ced sex (1.70; 1.30-2.22), condom non-use (1.96; 1.60-2.41), and number of times of being threatened with physical violence in past 12 months (1.11; 1 .01-1.22). The risk factors among males were the number of male sexual part ners in the past 3 months (1.43; 1.28-1.60), experiencing forced sex (1.91; 1.02-3.60), and older age (1.34; 1.14-1.57). Conclusions. The patterns of risk behaviors differed among male and female adolescents reporting dating violence. Females who reported date fighting w ere more likely than were nonfighters to have attempted suicide, to engage in sexual and human immunodeficiency virus risk behaviors (use of injectabl e drugs), to have been pregnant, experienced forced sex, and to have ridden in a car with a drinking driver. Sexual behaviors, including same-gender s exual partners, forced sex, and having been threatened with physical violen ce, were associated with date fighting among males. These findings are impo rtant in screening adolescents at risk for date violence.