It Takes a Village: A Systematic Review of Protective Factors Impacting the Experience of Adolescent Dating Violence across Ecological Domains

Background and Purpose: Adolescent dating violence (ADV) is a widespread public health concern linked to significant mental, behavioral, and relational harms across development, and is one of the leading risk factors associated with intimate partner violence in adulthood. Though extensive research has documented ADV risk factors, far less is known about promotive, protective, and compensatory mechanisms that buffer ADV.

Methods: This systematic review, part of the PROTECT‑IPV Project, synthesized empirical evidence published between 2003 - 2025 on protective and compensatory factors reducing the risk for ADV among youth ages 10–19 and how youth’s social identities (e.g., race/ethnicity, sexual orientation) influence these relationships. Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search across ten databases yielded 1,109 studies and N = 26 studies met inclusion criteria. A risk assessment of study bias was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Most studies were quantitative and U.S.-based, with varied racial/ethnic representation and limited inclusion of gender minority youth.

Results: Study methodological quality was high in the review, with 92.3% of studies scoring 4 or 5 on the MMAT. Protective factors emerged across ecological domains. Individual assets such as empathy, assertiveness, future orientation, and prosocial regulation showed protective associations, though individual traits alone were inconsistent for victimization. Familial processes, including parental monitoring, communication, emotional validation, and family connectedness, were among the most robust protective influences, particularly for perpetration. Social and institutional supports, including school bonding, informal mentoring, and neighborhood social control, also contributed to reduced ADV. Qualitative findings highlighted goal orientation, problem‑solving, and social connectedness as additional promotive themes. Protective processes varied by gender and race/ethnicity, with Latinx youth benefiting from cultural and familial strengths, and gender minority youth experiencing elevated ADV risk alongside reduced access to protective support.

Conclusions & Implications: Overall, findings underscore that protection from ADV is not rooted in individual traits alone but embedded within supportive relational and institutional systems. Prevention efforts strengthening family communication, enhancing school connectedness, and cultivating prosocial peer and community environments may meaningfully reduce ADV and disrupt pathways toward intimate partner violence in adulthood.