B4709 - Safe adolescent relationships Towards tailored prevention - 01/10/2024

B number: 
B4709
Principal applicant name: 
Patrizia Pezzoli | University College London (UK)
Co-applicants: 
Prof Essi Viding, Dr Rebecca Laecy
Title of project: 
Safe adolescent relationships: Towards tailored prevention
Proposal summary: 

Intimate partner violence (IPV) among adolescents and young adults is a growing yet under-explored problem. IPV can include emotional, physical, and sexual abuse between romantic partners, and it can lead to long-lasting harm. Some adolescents and young adults face higher risk of being involved in IPV, either as victims or perpetrators, especially if they have certain personality traits or have experienced difficult circumstances, such as childhood maltreatment. However, there is still a lack of targeted interventions in the UK that aim to prevent IPV in this group accounting for individual and contextual risk profiles. This project will investigate how personality and experiences of childhood maltreatment influence the risk of IPV among adolescents and young adults, and lay the groundwork for the development of a tailored intervention to promote safe relationships in this group.

Impact of research: 
This project will deepen our understanding of how personality traits and childhood maltreatment can influence IPV risk, challenging the misconception that IPV occurs randomly, which contrasts with robust epidemiological evidence. It will elucidate how individuals may enter abusive relationships through different pathways, necessitating interventions tailored to specific vulnerability profiles. The findings will provide critical evidence to shape future policies and practices in the UK for adolescents and young adults at high risk for IPV, thereby filling a critical gap in evidence-based IPV prevention, particularly for those exposed to childhood maltreatment.
Date proposal received: 
Monday, 30 September, 2024
Date proposal approved: 
Tuesday, 1 October, 2024
Keywords: 
Social Science, Behaviour - e.g. antisocial behaviour, risk behaviour, etc., Statistical methods, Childhood - childcare, childhood adversity, Psychology - personality, Intimate partner violence, adolescence, relationships.