BriEf rEsEarch rEport Nonreciprocal and Reciprocal Dating Violence and Injury Occurrence among Urban Youth Monica H. Swahn, PhD* Meltem Alemdar, PhD† Daniel J. Whitaker, PhD* * Georgia State University, Institute of Public Health, Atlanta, GA † Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA Supervising Section Editor: Abigail Hankin, MD, MPH Submission history: Submitted March 1, 2010; Revision Received April 1, 2010; Accepted April 15, 2010 Reprints available through open access at http://escholarship.org/uc/uciem_westjem Objective: Dating violence is a significant health problem among youth that leads to adverse health outcomes, including injuries. Reciprocal violence (perpetrated by both partners) is associated with increased injury in adults, but very little is known about the prevalence and context for reciprocal violence, as well as injury rates, among youth. We sought to determine the prevalence and scope of reciprocal dating violence and injury occurrence among urban youth in a high-risk community. Methods: Analyses were based on data from the Youth Violence Survey, conducted in 2004, and administered to over 80% of public school students in grades 7, 9, 11, and 12 (N=4,131) in a high- risk, urban school district. The current analyses were restricted to those who reported dating in the past year and who also reported any dating violence (n=1,158). Dating violence was categorized as reciprocal (the participant reported both violence perpetration and victimization) and non-reciprocal (the participant report either violence perpetration or victimization, but not both). Results: Dating violence reciprocity varied by sex. Girls who reported any dating violence were more likely to report reciprocal dating violence (50.4%) than were boys (38.9%). However, reciprocity did not vary by race/ethnicity or grade level. Reciprocal dating violence was more common among participants who reported more frequent violence experiences. Reciprocal violence was also associated with greater injury occurrences relative to non-reciprocal relationships (10.1% versus 1.2%). Conclusion: Reciprocal dating violence is common among adolescents and leads more often to injury outcomes. In particular, relationships in which boys report reciprocal violence against their partner appear to lead to more frequent injury occurrences. These findings underscore the importance of addressing dating violence and factors that increase risk for reciprocal violence and therefore exacerbate injury occurrence. [West J Emerg Med. 2010; 11(3): 264-268.] INTRODUCTION Dating violence is common among adolescents; about one in 10 high school students report that they have been hit, slapped or physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend in the past year.1 However, the prevalence and severity of dating and sexual violence victimization are even higher among high risk samples.2-4 Dating violence is often perpetrated by both boys and girls against their dating partners2-3 and research shows that in relationships where there is reciprocal violence (mutual violence), injuries are more likely to occur.5 While reciprocity of dating violence does not necessarily mean that the frequency or the severity of the violence is equal or similar between partners, it does indicate that both dating partners engage in violence.5 To date, there is limited research on reciprocity of dating violence among youth; one study shows that the percentage of violent adolescent relationships, in which there was reciprocal partner violence, ranged from 45% to 72%.6 Research on reciprocity of intimate partner violence among adults has found that much of partner violence is reciprocal.5,7,8 For example, in Volume XI, no. 3 : August 2010 264 Western Journal of Emergency Medicine