Understanding Perceived Motives for Dating Violence Among Adolescents: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Teen dating violence is a serious issue that affects the physical, psychological, and emotional well-being of adolescents. The purpose of this study was to examine the predominant perceived motives adolescents attribute to dating violence through the integration of quantitative and qualitative data. Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods design with equal weighting was applied to a sample of 703 participants in the quantitative phase, who completed the Dating Violence Motives Scale, and 103 participants in the qualitative phase. The mixed-phase analysis included data triangulation, creation of new analytical categories, and interpretation to generate meta-inferences. Results: Jealousy emerged as the most frequently perceived motive, particularly among males, followed by motives related to anger expression and lack of communication skills. Qualitative findings additionally revealed contextual elements not captured by the scale, such as family interference, relational control, and circumstantial stressors (academic, work, financial) as perceived triggers of violent behavior. Conclusions: Sociocultural constructions of gender were reflected in different motivational patterns: males more frequently justified violence as reactive or control-based, whereas females framed it as emotionally expressive.