Examining Trajectories of Peer Violence Experiences and Their Association with Gender Norms and Agency Among Adolescents: Evidence from China, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Indonesia.
Outcomes: Gender‑Based Violence
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways Unequal gender norms were associated with adolescents’ peer violence trajectories, but relationships varied substantially across settings. Sexual double standards showed the most consistent associations: more unequal perceptions predicted several higher-risk violence trajectories, suggesting that beliefs that permit different behaviors for boys and girls may contribute to violence. The discussion emphasizes that prevention should address underlying gender beliefs and broader systems of gender and power, while adapting approaches to local social and structural contexts.
Objectives To examine trajectories of peer violence from early through later adolescence in China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Indonesia, and assess how gender norm perceptions and personal agency are associated with these trajectories.
Methods The study used three waves of longitudinal data from 6,660 adolescents who were ages 10–14 at baseline and lived in urban poor communities. Repeated-measure latent class analysis identified patterns of peer violence victimization and perpetration over time, followed by multinomial logistic regression examining associations with baseline gender norms and agency. Gender norm perceptions were measured using two scales: sexual double standards and gender stereotypical traits, with higher scores indicating more unequal perceptions. Agency was assessed through voice, freedom of movement, and decision-making.
Results Five peer-violence trajectories were identified at each site. Four were broadly consistent: low violence, declining violence, violence peaking in the middle waves, and consistently high violence; Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo also had an increasing-violence group, while Shanghai had a high-emotional-victimization group. More unequal sexual double standards predicted declining violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, consistently high violence in Indonesia and Shanghai, and high emotional victimization in Shanghai. Associations with gender stereotypical traits were less consistent. Agency also varied by context; notably, greater freedom of movement was consistently associated with greater risk of several violence trajectories.
Conclusions Gender norms, agency, and peer violence are embedded within broader social and structural environments. Programs should address beliefs that support violence and consider family- and community-level influences, gender, and power, while tailoring interventions to the specific context and developmental stage of adolescents.
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