Knowledge, Perceptions, and Prevalence of Teen Dating Violence Amongst High School Students in New Orleans

This investigation took place at a high school in the lower ninth ward of New Orleans, a predominantly black, low-income community. Teenagers, women, people of lower socioeconomic status and racial minorities have a higher risk towards experiencing intimate partner violence. Experiencing dating violence at a young age heightens the risk of future intimate partner violence victimization. There is no research on the extent of teen dating violence in New Orleans. The purpose of this study was to assess the current state of dating violence prevalence, perceptions and knowledge of high school teens in Orleans Parish, providing an initial insight for future research and intervention in this community. Sixty-five high school teenagers completed surveys entitled “Knowledge, Perceptions and Prevalence of Teen Dating Violence and Available Resources Amongst High School Students in Orleans Parish.” The results indicated a noticeable difference between male and female experiences of teen dating violence, with males indicating higher levels of victimization. The perceptions of the teens regarding relationship norms supported the male favored victimization findings. The knowledge findings highlighted the need for more education on resources and unhealthy dating behaviors. The results of the study suggest there may be a uniquely vulnerable subset of male teens in this community that are experiencing dating violence and demonstrates a need for furthered educational intervention through healthy dating norms training. More research must be conducted in the New Orleans high school population to better understand and tailor interventions towards lowering teen dating violence rates.