# Meeting Prevention Beyond Awareness: A Qualitative Study Exploring Attitudes and Beliefs Towards Dating Violence and Prevention Among Emerging Adults

## TL;DR

This study finds that despite knowing about dating violence, young adults still normalize abusive behaviors, suggesting prevention efforts need to focus on changing behaviors, not just raising awareness.

## Contribution

The study reveals a paradox where high awareness of dating violence does not prevent its normalization, highlighting the need for behavioral-change interventions.

## Key findings

- Participants showed high awareness of dating violence but still normalized abusive behaviors.
- Cognitive dissonance between knowledge and personal experience hinders recognition of psychological abuse.
- Digital tools and behavioral interventions are recommended over traditional awareness-based approaches.

## Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
Dating violence among emerging adults is a significant public health concern, with high prevalence rates (around 80% of Portuguese university students) and serious consequences for physical and mental health, including anxiety, depression, and risky sexual behavior, among others.This study addresses a critical gap and reveals an important paradox: despite high awareness and knowledge about the various types of dating violence and their severity, participants exhibit an attitude–behavior inconsistency that perpetuates the normalization of abusive behaviors.

Dating violence among emerging adults is a significant public health concern, with high prevalence rates (around 80% of Portuguese university students) and serious consequences for physical and mental health, including anxiety, depression, and risky sexual behavior, among others.

This study addresses a critical gap and reveals an important paradox: despite high awareness and knowledge about the various types of dating violence and their severity, participants exhibit an attitude–behavior inconsistency that perpetuates the normalization of abusive behaviors.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
By showing that emerging adults experience cognitive dissonance between their general knowledge about dating violence and their own personal experiences, this study reveals that awareness and knowledge alone are insufficient to prevent dating violence. Some of the barriers identified were myths of romantic love and difficulty recognizing psychological violence behaviors.The findings of this study highlight that traditional knowledge-focused approaches should be replaced with behavioral-change interventions that address emotional regulation, interpersonal skills, gender norms, and social factors that normalize dating violence.

By showing that emerging adults experience cognitive dissonance between their general knowledge about dating violence and their own personal experiences, this study reveals that awareness and knowledge alone are insufficient to prevent dating violence. Some of the barriers identified were myths of romantic love and difficulty recognizing psychological violence behaviors.

The findings of this study highlight that traditional knowledge-focused approaches should be replaced with behavioral-change interventions that address emotional regulation, interpersonal skills, gender norms, and social factors that normalize dating violence.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health?
Practitioners and policy makers should redesign school-based prevention interventions and community programs, adapting them to the developmental stage and context of emerging adults. Prevention interventions should focus on developing healthy interpersonal relationship skills, such as social and emotional skills, be regular, and be integrated into formal education curricula.Researchers and practitioners should prioritize co-design flexible, accessible, and scalable prevention approaches, such as technological tools (including mobile applications, games, and digital platforms) that align with the emerging adults’ interests and lived realities, as evidence suggests that digital tools can effectively promote engagement, empathy, self-reflection and reduce social norms that support dating violence.

Practitioners and policy makers should redesign school-based prevention interventions and community programs, adapting them to the developmental stage and context of emerging adults. Prevention interventions should focus on developing healthy interpersonal relationship skills, such as social and emotional skills, be regular, and be integrated into formal education curricula.

Researchers and practitioners should prioritize co-design flexible, accessible, and scalable prevention approaches, such as technological tools (including mobile applications, games, and digital platforms) that align with the emerging adults’ interests and lived realities, as evidence suggests that digital tools can effectively promote engagement, empathy, self-reflection and reduce social norms that support dating violence.

Dating violence (DV) is an increasingly prevalent phenomenon among emerging adults (aged 18–25 years), and the relationship between awareness and behavior remains poorly understood. This study explores emerging adults’ attitudes and beliefs toward DV and summarizes recommendations for designing prevention programs. A qualitative study using three focus groups (n = 16 emerging adults aged 18–25; 56% female) was conducted. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Three main themes emerged: (1) gender roles, (2) healthy intimate relationships, and (3) dating violence. Participants demonstrated high awareness of DV types, severity, and prevalence. However, they also exhibited an attitude–behavior inconsistency, reflected in the normalization and excusing of violence, and difficulty recognizing violent situations in their own relationships. Myths of romantic love and cognitive dissonance between general knowledge and personal experience create barriers to recognizing abuse—particularly psychological abuse, which is often confused with concern. Participants suggested integrating prevention strategies into schools and communities, with interventions tailored to their interests and realities (e.g., mobile applications, games and social media awareness campaigns). This study reveals that awareness and knowledge alone are insufficient for prevention. Efforts should shift from a knowledge-focused to a behavior-change approach, promoting emotional regulation, interpersonal skills, and addressing social and gender norms. Relevant implications for practice and preventive intervention design are discussed.