The Acceptance of Relationship Red Flags and Romantic Myths in Adolescents’ Judgments of Teen Dating Violence: A Cross-Sectional Vignette Study

Abstract

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a prevalent phenomenon, yet the role of cognitive–attitudinal factors such as the acceptance of relational “red flags” and the endorsement of romantic myths remains insufficiently explored. This study investigates how these factors are associated with adolescents’ evaluation of the seriousness of violence situations and blame attribution across diverse victim–perpetrator configurations. A convenience sample of 658 Italian adolescents (ages 12–19) completed self-report measures and evaluated experimental vignettes depicting verbal–emotional, relational–threatening, and physical violence across different- and same-sex relationship configurations. The results indicated that females reported greater acceptance of threatening/aggressive and jealous/possessive red flag behaviors, while males and younger students showed stronger endorsement of romantic myths. Although females rated violence as more serious than males, episodes involving male victims were consistently perceived as less serious regardless of couple type. In the best-fitting SEM for the physical violence vignette, greater acceptance of red flag behaviors was associated with lower perpetrator blame and perceived seriousness, while stronger endorsement of romantic myths was associated with greater victim blame and lower perpetrator blame and seriousness. These findings suggest that adolescents’ tolerance of warning signs and idealized romantic schemas may undermine violence recognition. Prevention efforts should prioritize challenging the normalization of control and male invulnerability through gender-sensitive approaches inclusive of diverse relationship configurations.