Citation

Richards TN, Branch KA. Women Crim. Justice 2013; 23(3): 232-246.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/08974454.2013.802272

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Social support has been linked to a lower rate of negative outcomes among adult women who have experienced intimate partner violence victimization; however, little is known about the potential buffer effects of social support for adolescent girls who have been victimized by a dating partner. Using data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationship Study (n=495), we examine the impact of social support from parents and peers on negative outcomes, including low self-esteem, depression, and unhealthy weight control, among female youth who have experienced physical and/or emotional dating violence victimization (n=198). Multivariate regression analyses demonstrate that social support from parents and peers protects against low self-esteem but not against depression or unhealthy weight control. Implications for dating violence programming and future research are addressed.