Neighborhood Norms, Disadvantage, and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration across Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Jennifer Copp, Bowling Green State University
Peggy C. Giordano, Bowling Green State University
Monica A. Longmore, Bowling Green State University

Most theoretical treatments of intimate partner violence (IPV) focus on individual-level processes. More recently, scholars have begun to examine the role of macro-level factors. Results of that research indicate that social ties facilitate the diffusion of cultural norms—including tolerance of deviance/violence—across neighborhoods. Yet the influence of the neighborhood normative climate likely extends beyond norms regarding the use of violence, shaping cultural understanding about dating and the opposite sex. Using five waves of data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), the current investigation examines the multilevel association between dating norms, gender mistrust, and IPV perpetration across adolescence and young adulthood. Preliminary results indicate that the neighborhood normative climate exerts a positive influence on patterns of IPV perpetration over time, net of individual attitudes and beliefs. Furthermore, this effect varies across levels of neighborhood disadvantage. We discuss the implications of these findings for targeted community-based approaches to IPV intervention/prevention.