City Research Online

Abstract

Objectives
Teenage relationship abuse (TRA) affects young people under 16 but remains largely invisible in national data. This study examines temporal trends in TRA prevalence among Welsh adolescents and the age gradient in TRA by school year group.

Study design
Descriptive analysis of repeated self-report cross-sectional data.

Methods
Data from four survey years (2017, 2019, 2023, 2025) of the Welsh School Health Research Network (SHRN) Student Health and Wellbeing Survey (SHWS) were analysed, comprising 345,796 pupils aged 11–16 from all maintained secondary schools in Wales. TRA victimisation and perpetration were measured using six items. Logistic regression tested for change across survey years, with year as a categorical predictor (2017 reference).

Results
Across the four survey years, one in five pupils reported TRA victimisation and one in eight reported perpetration. All six TRA outcomes increased between 2017 and 2023 (victimisation: 19.0% to 21.7%; perpetration: 13.1% to 14.6%), before declining in 2025. By 2025, any victimisation and 2 physical perpetration had returned to 2017 levels; emotional victimisation remained elevated; other outcomes fell below 2017 levels. Bidirectionality was the dominant pattern and sole perpetration remained rare across all year groups. TRA of any form was present from Year 7 (11.7%), rising to 29.6% by Year 11, including 19.3% of Year 11 pupils reporting both victimisation and perpetration in 2025.

Conclusions
TRA among adolescents in Wales increased between 2017 and 2023 before declining in 2025, with a mixed pattern. Bidirectionality is the dominant pattern, challenging simple victim/perpetrator framings. TRA is present from Year 7, indicating that earlier universal intervention is needed.

Publication Type:	Other (Preprint)
Publisher Keywords:	Teenage relationship abuse, Dating and Relationship violence, Prevalence, Temporal trends, School survey
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1603 Secondary Education. High schools
Departments:	School of Policy & Global Affairs School of Policy & Global Affairs > Violence and Society Centre
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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