Adolescent intimate partner violence prevention and intervention

Adolescence is a dynamic developmental period characterized by intense physical, neurological, psychological, and psychosocial changes spanning from approximately age 10 through the late 20s. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is common of this period. Despite studies documenting the effectiveness of prevention efforts to reduce IPV, the prevalence has remained stable over time, warranting attention to what might be missing from our work to prevent IPV at this critical developmental stage. We suggest that prevention scientists would benefit from applying a developmental, intersectional lens to IPV prevention. Taking a developmental perspective encourages attention to early adolescents who have been generally overlooked in IPV prevention, while applying an intersectional perspective challenges us all to consider the unique experiences of adolescents with marginalized identities, including sexual and gender minority youth, racial and ethnic minority youth, and youth with disabilities, who are disproportionately affected by violence. Prevention and intervention strategies at the community and societal levels (rather than programs that focus on individual-level risk) may be particularly salient for promoting safety among adolescents at highest risk for IPV, given the structural roots of marginalization.