Abstract:
Teen Dating Violence (TDV) is a serious public health concern. However, minimal research,
especially in the Philippine context, has tackled detailed lived experiences of individuals that
went through TDV. This study provides a detailed perspective of TDV through the eyes of
Filipino young adult victims, including the past lived experiences of young adults on TDV,
their perception of TDV, the impact it had on them, and their perception of how society
acknowledges the issue. Phenomenology is used as the research design of the study in order
to provide a detailed and deeper understanding of how the victims make sense of their
experiences. Five young Filipino adults aged 20-24 years old in UP Manila were recruited as
participants through snowball sampling and were interviewed using semi-structured interview
guides. The results of the study revealed that their perception of TDV reflected their own
experiences. The most apparent risk factor of TDV was the environment, while the support
system served as protective factors. The victims perceived TDV to be stigmatized and not
acknowledged enough in our society, and that existing intervention strategies are not enough.
All of the victims experienced TDV with their first relationships. In general, the participants’
experiences involved violence that came about during arguments. The causes and nature of
violence identified can be associated with the Power and Control Wheel. Modes of violence
were categorized into three: physical, sexual, and emotional. Negative attitudes of the victims
toward the violence and their partners were reported. Substantial findings also revealed that
victims only sought help from informal sources, particularly from friends. Both the positive
and negative impacts of TDV were seen in the victims. Call for action and recommendations
were made in order to develop adequate and proper prevention and intervention strategies for
TDV, and to aid more in-depth future studies, respectively.
