Expérience amoureuse la plus difficile : Qu’en disent les garçons rapportant un vécu de violence physique dans leurs relations amoureuses ?

Abstract

Objectives: Although most of the literature on physical dating violence (physical DV) focuses on victimization among girls, boys are also at risk. This study aims to document the experiences of boys who underwent physical violence in their romantic relationships. Method: In the Parcours Amoureux des Jeunes Survey, 1,701 boys reported having had a romantic relationship in the past year. Of them, 184 had experienced at least one episode of physical DV and answered an open-ended question asking them to describe the most difficult experience they had in a romantic relationship. A qualitative analysis was carried out based on their answers, then was supplemented with statistical analyzes. Results: Five conceptual categories emerged from the thematic analysis, depicting relational (n = 39) or sexual (n = 9) difficulties, romantic breakups (n = 47), experiences of infidelity (n = 57) or of DV (n = 19). Thirteen did not report any difficult events. Only 15 participants mentioned a DV event, and three specifically the physical DV they experienced. Statistical analyzes reveal that a greater tolerance for violence is associated with having experienced more forms of DV. Conclusion: The collected answers underline the presence of several sources of distress in their romantic relationships, combined with the physical DV. These findings highlight the importance of helping boys in the development of their resilience assets and the recognition of the different forms of DV, and to support them in their help-seeking path.