Teenage boys are more likely to report experiencing dating violence -- being hit, slapped, or pushed -- than girls of their age, a study has found.
The study, published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, found 5.8 per cent of boys and 4.2 per cent of girls said they had experienced dating violence in the past year.
More research is needed to understand why boys are reporting more dating violence, Catherine Shaffer, a PhD student from
"It could be that it's still socially acceptable for girls to hit or slap boys in dating relationships. This has been found in studies of adolescents in other countries as well," said Shaffer.
She added that the overall decline in dating violence, while small, is encouraging.
"Young people who experience dating violence are more likely to act out and take unnecessary risks, and they're also more likely to experience depression or think about or attempt suicide," Shaffer said.
"That's why it's good to see that decline in dating violence over a 10-year span. It suggests that healthy relationship programs are making an impact among youth," she said.
The study is the first in Canada to look at dating violence trends among adolescents over time, and the first in North America to compare trends for boys and girls.
Researchers analysed data from surveys involving 35,900 youth in grade 7 to 12 who were in dating relationships.
The findings highlight the need for more support programmes for both boys and girls in dating relationships.
"A lot of our interventions assume that the girl is always the victim, but these findings tell us that it isn't always so," said Elizabeth Saewyc, from University of British Columbia in Canada.
"Relationship violence, be it physical, sexual or other forms, and regardless who the perpetrator is, is never OK. Health-care providers, parents and caregivers, schools and others can protect teens from dating violence by helping them define what healthy relationships looks like, even before their first date," said Saewyc.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)