Dating violence (DV): a systematic meta-analysis review

Abstract

This study summarizes the results of meta-analyses about risk and protective factors related to dating violence (DV). Fifteen studies were included from 1997 to 2018, N = 1784018. The results were classified according to ecological theory. The Zr's were calculated for each factor and level of analysis, including the differences between victimization and perpetration effect sizes. Then, the Zr's were transformed to r values. In accordance with the different levels of analysis, results showed that the effect sizes were greater for: (1) individual level: cigarette smoking, adolescent pregnancy (victimization) and sex (perpetration / victimization); (2) microsystem: peer sexual harassment, (victimization), peer DV, deviant peers and family violence (perpetration / victimization); (3) exosystem: age (victimization) and violent neighborhoods (perpetration / victimization), and (4) macrosystem: cultural minority and disadvantaged neighborhoods (perpetration / victimization). DV protective factors which had the lowest effect sizes were: parental and peer support; and highest effect sizes were found in the exo and macro levels, and then in the individual and micro levels. Furthermore, statistically significant differences between total effect sizes were found, with values being higher in the exosystem for victimization than for perpetration. Delimiting the most important risk and protective factors for DV has important implications for prevention and intervention.