Extensiveness and persistence of aggressive media exposure as longitudinal risk factors for teen dating violence.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether adolescents' use of aggressive media is a risk for dating violence victimization and perpetration, considering extensiveness across media types (TV, movies, music, magazines, Internet) and persistence over 3 years. METHOD: On three occasions, 1 year apart, 238 boys and 246 girls (mean age 15.06 years) with romantic partners completed measures of media aggression, dating violence-tolerant attitudes, and victimization and perpetration of dating violence. Two models were tested: cumulative risk of extensive and persistent use and mediational role of attitudes. RESULTS: Findings support the cumulative risk of extensive aggressive media usage on dating violence victimization and perpetration across three waves. Violence-tolerant attitudes fully mediated the longitudinal pathway between aggressive media use and perpetration and partially mediated the pathway for victimization. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that aggressive media increases the incidence of dating violence over 3 years and is mediated by its effect on adolescents' attitudes about violence. Analyzing this effect for victimization and perpetration, the findings demonstrate the widespread effect of the media and have important implications for dating violence theories. The focus of dating violence prevention on youths' attitudes regarding violence is supported with the recommendation to include media awareness training in the curricula.

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