Before It Escalates: Understanding Relationship Issues to Inform the Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence in Young People

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health concern for young Australians, with recent national data indicating that around half of 16–25 year olds report experiencing IPV, including physical and sexual violence. Longitudinal research shows that IPV follows a developmental trajectory that peaks in the early twenties, positioning adolescence and emerging adulthood as a critical, high-pressure "learning phase" in which relationship attitudes and behaviours are established; essential towards learning healthy and respectful relationship skills.

A recent research project led by our team found that relationship conflict, breakup, and jealousy were the most consistent factors preceding fatal outcomes across homicide and suicide; more so than any single demographic characteristic. This pattern is echoed in the broader literature: research identifies frequent arguments and controlling behaviour as the two factors most strongly associated with IPV, while attachment and emotion-regulation research shows that how young people respond to conflict (shaped by attachment style, impulsivity, and difficulty regulating negative emotion) helps determine whether a relationship stays safe or turns abusive.

Current prevention efforts and services are overwhelmingly geared toward responding after violence has already emerged, rather than intervening at the conflict stage that precedes it. There is a clear opportunity, particularly in the Australian context, for research that informs prevention before escalation occurs.