Perspectives of Cultural and Family Influences from Latino College Students on Dating Violence, Dating Norms, and Healthy Relationships

Background and Purpose

Although research on Latino college students is growing, it remains limited, and as dating values and cultural tensions shift across generations, there is increasing need to understand how Latino young adults interpret relationship norms, safety, and harm within the college context. The literature shows that dating violence risk is shaped not only by college-related factors such as hookup culture and substance use, but also by culturally rooted norms and communication patterns that can both protect youth and restrict them. Acculturation and bicultural identity processes further complicate this landscape, as higher Anglo orientation and acculturation conflict are linked to elevated risk, while Latino cultural orientation and identity affirmation may sometimes be protective. This study focuses on Latino college students’ perspectives using data from a larger mixed-methods study conducted in a college context, a setting associated with elevated risk for dating and sexual violence.

Methods

Qualitative data were drawn from a larger mixed-methods study on cultural norms and relationships among students (N = 445). Students accessed a link or QR code to complete a 20–30 minute online survey, after which they participated in a virtual chat forum via Slido to answer interview questions. This analysis focused on Latino college students (n = 16), ages 18–25. Interviews were coded using inductive thematic analysis in Dedoose.

Results

Participants defined dating violence in multiple types of abuse including physical, verbal, psychological, and sexual abuse.They primarily conceptualized dating violence within committed or ongoing partnerships rather than casual or early-stage interactions. Cultural influences shaped these definitions through traditional gender roles, silence around violence, and the normalization of abuse, while some participants highlighted individual experiences, such as lived abuse or empowerment, as influential. These accounts suggest that family influence can function as both a risk and a protective factor depending on the messages communicated. Healthy relationships were described as involving mutual communication, consent, autonomy, emotional safety, emotional connection, security, and shared growth. Participants described cultural dating norms as including male-initiated pursuit, parental control around age restrictions, dating within the same culture, family involvement and marriage-oriented expectations. They also described expressing romantic interest through both direct approaches, such as openly communicating feelings, and gradual approaches, including building friendships over time. Participants’ responses reflect generational and cultural shifts, as many acknowledged traditional norms but ultimately rejected them in favor of more egalitarian definitions of dating violence and conceptualizations of dating norms.

Conclusions and Implications

These findings suggest Latino college students actively negotiate and reinterpret cultural messages through experiences, acculturation, and new environments. Prevention programs may be strengthened by creating space for students to reflect on conflicting cultural messages, discuss how family and community norms shape their views, and build skills to recognize harm across relationships. Gender-based violence prevention should acknowledge the complexity of students’ cultural worlds. Future research should examine how this meaning-making process operates across forms of gender-based violence and relates to help-seeking, violence outcomes, and prevention effectiveness.