Youth violence is a major public health problem for US adolescents. Sports participation has been shown to decrease the likelihood of certain forms of youth violence, such as suicide. Using a national representative sample, the study seeks to determine the association of dating and sexual abuse victimization with sports participation. Analyses of data from the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) suggest that sports participation is significantly associated with an increased likelihood of male dating abuse victimization. There was no significant association between sexual abuse victimization and sports participation for girls nor boys. These findings underscore the importance of evaluating contextual aspects of sports education and team dynamics that may have violence prevention potential. Primary recommendations include further research on the feasibility of disseminating youth violence prevention messaging via school and community sports, training for coaches, and rigorous evaluation of adolescent sports programs.

Adolescent Dating Violence: Theory, Research, and Prevention summarizes the course, risk/protective factors, consequences and treatment/prevention of adolescent dating violence. Dating violence is defined as physical, sexual, psychological, and cyber behavior meant to cause emotional, physical, or social harm to a current or former intimate partner. The book discusses research design and measurement in the field, focuses on the recent influx of longitudinal studies, and examines prevention and intervention initiatives. Divided into five sections, the book begins by reviewing theory on and consequences of dating violence. Section II discusses risk factors and protective factors such as peer influences, substance use, and past exposure to violence in the family of origin. Section III discusses how social and cultural factors can influence teen dating violence, addressing the prevalence of dating violence among different ethnicities and among LGBTQ teens, and the influence of social media. Section IV discusses recent research priorities including gender inequality, measurement, psychological abuse, and the dual nature of dating violence during adolescence. Section V reviews evidence-based practice for treatment and prevention across various age groups and settings. Encompasses physical, sexual, psychological and cyber violence Introduces theory on dating violence Emphasizes results from longitudinal studies and intervention initiatives Highlights the influence of social media and technology on dating violence Discusses ethnic, gender and other social and cultural differences in prevalence Examines evidence-based practice in treatment and prevention

There is an increasing appreciation of the interconnections among all forms of violence. These interconnections have critical implications for conducting research that can produce valid conclusions about the causes and consequences of abuse, maltreatment, and trauma. The accumulated data on co-occurrence also provide strong evidence that prevention and intervention should be organized around the full context of individuals’ experiences, not narrowly defined subtypes of violence. Managing the flood of new research and practice innovations is a challenge, however. New means of communication and integration are needed to meet this challenge, and the Web of Violence is intended to contribute to this process by serving as a concise overview of the conceptual and empirical work that form a basis for understanding the interconnections across forms of violence throughout the lifespan. It also offers ideas and directions for prevention, intervention, and public policy. A number of initiatives are emerging to integrate the findings on co-occurrence into research and action. The American Psychological Association established a new journal, Psychology of Violence, which is a forum for research on all types of violence. Sherry Hamby is the founding editor and John Grych is associate editor and co-editor of a special issue on the co-occurrence of violence in 2012. Dr. Hamby also is a co-investigator of the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV), which has drawn attention to polyvictimization. Polyvictimization is a focus of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Defending Childhood Initiative and has recently been featured in calls for grant proposals by the Office of Victims of Crime and National Institutes for Justice.

There is an increasing appreciation of the interconnections among all forms of violence. These interconnections have critical implications for conducting research that can produce valid conclusions about the causes and consequences of abuse, maltreatment, and trauma. The accumulated data on co-occurrence also provide strong evidence that prevention and intervention should be organized around the full context of individuals’ experiences, not narrowly defined subtypes of violence. Managing the flood of new research and practice innovations is a challenge, however. New means of communication and integration are needed to meet this challenge, and the Web of Violence is intended to contribute to this process by serving as a concise overview of the conceptual and empirical work that form a basis for understanding the interconnections across forms of violence throughout the lifespan. It also offers ideas and directions for prevention, intervention, and public policy. A number of initiatives are emerging to integrate the findings on co-occurrence into research and action. The American Psychological Association established a new journal, Psychology of Violence, which is a forum for research on all types of violence. Sherry Hamby is the founding editor and John Grych is associate editor and co-editor of a special issue on the co-occurrence of violence in 2012. Dr. Hamby also is a co-investigator of the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV), which has drawn attention to polyvictimization. Polyvictimization is a focus of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Defending Childhood Initiative and has recently been featured in calls for grant proposals by the Office of Victims of Crime and National Institutes for Justice.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year, 1 in 4 adolescents experience verbal, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse from a dating partner. This evidence-based program helps teens recognize the difference between caring, supportive relationships and controlling, manipulative, or abusive relationships. It is during the critical pre-teen and teen years that young people begin to learn the skills needed to create and foster positive relationships.

This compilation of original essays does more than just illuminate the serious problem of teen violence and victimization; it also provides resources that parents and teachers can use to address issues of violence with their teens and make a difference. While it's widely known that hate crimes represent a serious issue among today's adolescent population, most parents—and perhaps even some educators—may be unaware that gender-based violence is the most prevalent type of hate crime committed by and experienced by teens, and that adolescent girls are exposed to more violence than boys. A complete understanding of the nature of the problem is fundamental to curtailing problems like cyberbullying and sexual harrassment. The Psychology of Teen Violence and Victimization is a two-volume set that fills a gap in the current literature on teen violence by addressing the incidence, psychological explanations, and impact of all forms of teen violence. The author—a psychologist who has focused upon interpersonal problems centered on violence, harassment, and gender—provides in-depth discussion of the various types of violence committed by and against teens. The set offers actionable prevention strategies for parents and teachers as well as individuals involved in community programs. Special attention is given to the impact of violence on adolescents' emotional and physical health, interpersonal relationships, career development, and self-concept.