Dating Violence Victimization Among Adolescent Girls in the American Rural South

Research has shown that girls in rural contexts are more likely to experience dating violence victimization than peers in urban or suburban ones. Yet, little research has been carried out on rural adolescent girls in regard to the outcomes of such dating violence and the role of parenting. The current study tested the link between dating violence victimization (both general and sexual violence victimization) and internalizing problems (depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem), and whether maternal peer approval conditioned this relationship. Cross-sectional data were collected from 335 adolescent girls ( M age = 15.77 years; SD = 1.12) in the American rural South. Results provided evidence that maternal peer approval moderated the relationships between general victimization and low self-esteem, sexual violence victimization and low self-esteem, as well as sexual violence victimization and depression. In addition, adolescent girls with higher levels of maternal peer approval were at greater risk for internalizing problems, following dating violence victimization. Findings provide paradoxical evidence in that high autonomy granting behaviors by parents, trusting daughters to make good decisions about romantic relationships, which might also mean less parental knowledge or monitoring, was associated with greater victimization and associated internalizing problems. Future studies need to replicate this finding so that the role of parental peer (dis)approval in the link between dating violence experiences and internalizing problems can be further tested.