Prior research suggests that peers are important to adolescent dating experiences. However, questions remain about the role peers play in adolescent relationships, including dating violence. To fill this gap, eight sex-specific focus groups were conducted with 39 high school–aged teens, all of whom had experienced prior relationship problems. Participants described how peers helped them initiate dating relationships, but once in the relationship, peers would spread rumors and create dramas that led to jealousy, discord, and violence between the couple. Prevention programs should focus on cultivating peers as helpful bystanders and counteracting peer actions that lead to dating violence.
AckardD. M.Neumark-SztainerD. (2002). Date violence and date rape among adolescents: Associations with disordered eating behaviors and psychological health. Child Abuse & Neglect, 26, 455-473.
2.
AckardD. M.Neumark-SztainerD.HannanP. (2003). Dating violence among a nationally representative sample of adolescent girls and boys: Associations with behavioral and mental health. Journal of Gender Specific Medicine, 6, 39-48.
3.
AdelmanM.KilS. H. (2007). Dating conflicts: Rethinking dating violence and youth conflict. Violence Against Women, 13, 1296-1318.
4.
ArriagaX. B.FosheeV. A. (2004). Adolescent dating violence: Do adolescents follow in their friends’ or their parents’ footsteps?Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 19, 162-184.
5.
BakerC. K.HelmS. (2011). The prevalence of intimate partner violence victimization and perpetration among youth in Hawai’i. Hawai’i Medical Journal, 70, 92-96. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3095260/
6.
BanyardV. L.CrossC. (2008). Consequences of teen dating violence: Understanding intervening variables in ecological context. Violence Against Women, 14, 998-1013.
7.
BanyardV. L.MoynihanM. M.PlanteE. G. (2007). Sexual violence prevention through bystander education: An experimental evaluation. Journal of Community Psychology, 35, 463-481.
8.
BelshawS. H.SiddiqueJ. A.TannerJ.OshoG. S. (2012). The relationship between dating violence and suicidal behaviors in a national sample of adolescents. Violence and Victims, 27, 580-593.
9.
BrownB. B. (1999). “You’re going out with who?” Peer group influences on adolescent romantic relationships. In FurmanW.BrownB. B.FeiringC. (Eds.), The development of romantic relationships in adolescence (pp. 291-329). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
10.
BrownB. B.FeiringC.FurmanW. (1999). Missing the love boat. Why researchers have shied away from adolescent romance. In FurmanW.BrownB. B.FeiringC. (Eds.), The development of romantic relationships in adolescence (pp. 1-16). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
11.
CarverK.JoynerK.UdryJ. R. (2003). National estimates of adolescent romantic relationships. In FlorsheimP. (Ed.), Adolescent romantic relations and sexual behavior: Theory, research, and practical implications (pp. 23-56). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
ChenZ.GuoF.YangX.LiX.DuanQ.ZhangJ.GeX. (2009). Emotional and behavioral effects of romantic relationships in Chinese adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38, 1282-1293.
14.
CloseS. M. (2005). Dating violence prevention in middle school and high school youth. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 18, 2-9.
15.
CollinsW. (2003). More than myth: The developmental significance of romantic relationships during adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 13, 1-24.
ConnollyJ.FurmanW.KonarskiR. (2000). The role of peers in the emergence of heterosexual romantic relationships in adolescence. Child Development, 81, 1395-1408.
18.
ConnollyJ.GoldbergA. (1999). Romantic relationships in adolescence: The role of friends and peers in their emergence and development. In FurmanW.BrownB. B.FeiringC. (Eds.), The development of romantic relationships in adolescence (pp. 266-290). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
19.
CorbinJ.StraussA. (2008). Basics of qualitative research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
20.
DrauckerC. B.MartsolfD.StephensonP.RiskoJ.HeckmanT.SheehanD.. (2010). Aggressive events in adolescent dating violence. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 31, 599-610.
21.
FergussonD. M.Swain-CampbellN. R.HorwoodL. J. (2002). Deviant peer affiliations, crime and substance use: A fixed effects regression analysis. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 30, 419-430.
22.
FosheeV. A.BaumanK. E.ArriagaX. B.HelmsR. W.KochG. G.LinderG. F. (1998). An evaluation of Safe Dates, an adolescent dating violence prevention program. American Journal of Public Health, 88, 45-50.
23.
FosheeV. ABenefieldT.EnnettS.BaumanK.SuchindranC. (2004). Longitudinal predictors of serious physical and sexual dating violence victimization during adolescence. Preventive Medicine, 39, 1007-1016.
24.
FosheeV. A.ReyesH. L.WyckoffS. C. (2009). Approaches to preventing psychological, physical, and sexual partner abuse. In O’LearyD.WoodinE. (Eds.), Understanding psychological and physical aggression in couples: Existing evidence and clinical implications (pp. 165-189). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
25.
FurmanW.ShafferL. (2003). The role of romantic relationships in adolescence. In FlorsheimP. (Ed.), Adolescent romantic relations and sexual behavior: Theory, research and practical implications (pp. 3-22). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
26.
FurmanW.SimonV. A.ShafferL.BoucheyH. A. (2002). Adolescents’ working models and styles for relationships with parents, friends, and romantic partners. Child Development, 73, 241-255.
27.
GiordanoP. C.LongmoreM. A.ManningW. D. (2006). Gender and the meanings of adolescent romantic relationships. A focus on boys. American Sociological Review, 71, 260-287.
28.
GiordanoP. C.SotoD. A.ManningW. D.LongmoreM. A. (2010). The characteristics of romantic relationships associated with teen dating violence. Social Science Research, 39, 863-874.
29.
HalpernC. T.OslakS. G.YoungM. L.MartinS. L.KupperL. L. (2001). Partner violence among adolescents in opposite-sex romantic relationships: Findings from the national longitudinal study of adolescent health. American Journal of Public Health, 91, 1679-1685.
30.
HalpernC. T.YoungM. L.WallerM.MartinS. L.KupperL. (2004). Prevalence of partner violence in same-sex romantic and sexual relationships in a national sample of adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 35, 124-131.
31.
HelmS.BakerC. K.IskandarL. (2013). Exploring the intersection between peer violence and teen dating violence among adolescents. Journal International De Victimologie, 11.
32.
HowardD. E.WangM. Q. (2003a). Psychosocial factors associated with adolescent boys’ reports of dating violence. Adolescence, 38, 519-533.
33.
HowardD. E.WangM. Q. (2003b). Risk profiles of adolescent girls who were victims of dating violence. Adolescence, 38, 1-14.
34.
JourilesE. N.McDonaldR.GarridoE.RoselfieldD.BrownA. S. (2005). Assessing aggression in adolescent romantic relationships: Can we do it better?Psychological Assessment, 17, 469-475.
35.
KuttlerA. F.La GrecaA. M. (2004). Linkages among adolescent girls’ romantic relationships, best friendships, and peer networks. Journal of Adolescence, 27, 395-414.
36.
LarsenR. W.CloreG. L.WoodG. A. (1999). The emotions of romantic relationships: Do they wreak havoc on adolescents? In FurmanW.BrownB. B.FeiringC. (Eds.), The development of romantic relationships in adolescence (pp. 19-49). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
37.
LinderJ. R.CrickN. C.CollinsW. A. (2002). Relational aggression and victimization in young adults’ romantic relationships: Association with perceptions of parent, peer, and romantic relationship quality. Social Development, 11, 69-86.
38.
MarquartB. S.NanniniD. K.EdwardsR. W.StanleyL. R.WaymanJ. C. (2007). Prevalence of dating violence and victimization: Regional and gender differences. Adolescence, 42, 645-657. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18229502
39.
MilesM. B.HubermanA. M.SaldanaJ. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
40.
Miller-JohnsonS.CostanzoP. R. (2004). If you can’t beat ’em . . . induce them to join you: Peer based interventions during adolescence. In KupersmidtJ. B.DodgeK. A. (Eds.), Children’s peer relations: From development to intervention (pp. 209-222). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
41.
MolidorC.TolmanR. M. (1998). Gender and contextual factors in adolescent dating violence. Violence Against Women, 4, 180-194.
42.
MulfordC.GiordanoP. C. (2008). Teen dating violence: A closer look at adolescent romantic relationships. National Institute of Justice Journal, 261, 34-40. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/224089.pdf
43.
NiederT.Seiffge-KrenkeI. (2001). Coping with stress in difference phases of romantic development. Journal of Adolescence, 24, 297-311.
44.
NoonanR. K.CharlesD. (2009). Developing teen dating violence prevention strategies: Formative research with middle school youth. Violence Against Women, 15, 1087-1105.
O’DonnellC. R.WilliamsI. L. (2013). The buddy system: A 35-year follow-up of criminal offenses. Clinical Psychological Science, 1, 54-66.
47.
OkamuraJ.W. (1994). Why there are no Asian-Americans in Hawai’i: The continuing significance of local identity. Social Process in Hawai’i, 35, 161–178.
48.
O’LearyK. D.SlepA. M. S. (2012). Prevention of partner violence by focusing on behaviors of both young males and females. Prevention Science, 13, 329-339.
49.
O’LearyK. D.SlepA. M. S.Avery-LeafS.CascardiM. (2008). Gender differences in dating aggression among multiethnic high school students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 42, 473-479.
50.
OlshenE.McVeighK. H.Wunsch-HitzigR. A.RickertV. I. (2007). Dating violence, sexual assault, and suicide attempts among urban teenagers. Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, 161, 539-545.
51.
ParkerJ. G.LowC. M.WalkerA. R.GammB. K. (2005). Friendship jealousy in young adolescents: Individual differences and links to sex, self-esteem, aggression, and social adjustment. Developmental Psychology, 41, 235-250.
52.
PolaninJ. R.EspelageD. L.PigottT. D. (2012). A meta-analysis of school-based bullying prevention programs’ effects on bystander intervention behavior. School Psychology Review, 41, 47-65.
53.
PonterottoJ. G. (2010). Qualitative research in multicultural psychology: Philosophical underpinnings, popular approaches, and ethical considerations. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16, 581-589.
54.
ProsperoM. (2008). Middle school students’ aggressive reactions to dating situations. Journal of School Violence, 5, 65-77.
55.
ReinekeJ. E. (1969). Language and dialect in Hawai’i: A sociolinguistic history to 1935. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.
56.
RothM. A.ParkerJ. G. (2001). Affective and behavioral responses to friends who neglect their friends for dating partners: Influences of gender, jealousy, and perspective. Journal of Adolescence, 24, 281-296.
57.
RothmanE. F.McNaughton ReyesL.JohnsonR. M.LaValleyM. (2012). Does the alcohol make them do it? Dating violence perpetration and drinking among youth. Epidemiologic Reviews, 34, 103-119.
58.
SearsH. A.ByersE. S.PriceE. L. (2007). The co-occurrence of adolescent boys’ and girls’ use of psychologically, physically, and sexually abusive behaviours in their dating relationships. Journal of Adolescence, 30, 487-504.
59.
ShulmanS.Seiffge-KrenkeI. (2001). Adolescent romance: Between experience and relationships. Journal of Adolescence, 24, 417-428.
60.
SilvermanJ. G.RajA.MucciL. A.HathawayJ. E. (2001). Dating violence against adolescent girls and associated substance use, unhealthy weight control, sexual risk behavior, pregnancy, and suicidality. Journal of the American Medical Association, 286, 572-579.
61.
SmetanaJ. G.Campione-BarrN.MetzgerA. (2006). Adolescent development in interpersonal and societal contexts. Annual Review of Psychology, 57, 255-284.
62.
StephensonP. S.MartsolfD.DrauckerC. B. (2012). Peer involvement in adolescent dating violence. Journal of School Nursing, 29, 204-211.
63.
SullivanT. N.ErwinE. H.HelmsS. W.MashoS. W.FarrellA. D. (2010). Problematic situations associated with dating experiences and relationships among urban African American adolescents: A qualitative study. Journal of Primary Prevention, 31, 365-378.
64.
SwahnM. H.AlemdarM.WhitakerD. J. (2010). Nonreciprocal and reciprocal dating violence and injury occurrence among urban youth. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 11, 264-268. Retrieved from http://escholarship.org/uc/item/7s77g3gr
65.
SwahnM. H.AliB.BossartR. M.Van DulmenM.CrosbyA.StrineT.RaskinS. (2010). Self-harm and its link to peer and dating violence among adolescents in a high-risk urban community. Suicidology Online, 1, 53-65. Retrieved from http://www.suicidology-online.com/pdf/SOL-2010-1-53-65.pdf
66.
ThomasJ. J. (2012). Adolescents’ conceptions of the influence of romantic relationships on friendships. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 173, 198-207.
67.
WeiszA. N.BlackB. M. (2008). Peer intervention in dating violence: Beliefs of African-American middle school adolescents. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 17, 177-196.
68.
WeiszA. N.TolmanR. M.CallahanM. R.SaundersD. G.BlackB. M. (2007). Informal helpers’ response when adolescents tell them about dating violence or romantic relationship problems. Journal of Adolescence, 30, 853-868.
69.
WolfeD. A.CrooksC.JaffeP.ChiodoD.HughesR.EllisW. (2009). A school-based program to prevent adolescent dating violence: A cluster randomized trial. Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, 163, 692-699.
70.
WolfeD. A.WekerleC.ScottK.StraatmanA. L.GrasleyC.Reitzel-JaffeD. (2003). Dating violence prevention with at-risk youth: A controlled outcome evaluation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 279-291.
71.
ZahaR.HelmS.BakerC.HayesD. (2013). Intimate partner violence and substance use among Hawai’i youth: An analysis of recent data from the Hawai’i Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Substance Use & Misuse, 48, 11-20.
72.
Zimmer-GembeckM. J. (2002). The development of romantic relationships and adaptations in the system of peer relationships. Journal of Adolescent Health, 31, 216-225.
73.
Zimmer-GembeckM. J.SiebenbrunerJ.CollinsW. A. (2001). Diverse aspects of dating: Associations with psychosocial functioning from early to middle adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 24, 313-336.
