Examining the Association between Bullying and Adolescent Concerns about Teen Dating Violence

Background: The school environment is an important context for understanding risk factors for teen dating violence. This study seeks to add to the growing literature base linking adolescent experiences with bullying and involvement with teen dating violence. Methods: Data were collected from 27,074 adolescents at 58 high schools via a Web-based survey. Results: Three-level hierarchical linear models indicated that adolescents who had been bullied were more concerned about both physical and emotional dating violence among students at their school. Schools that were perceived by students as safer were rated as having lower levels of teen dating violence. Older students and male students consistently reported greater concerns about dating violence. Conclusions: These results suggest that adolescents who experience bullying may also have concerns about violence in teen dating relationships. Findings also indicate that schools perceived as being unsafe may be an important context for targeting dating violence prevention efforts.