Adolescents and Dating Violence: A Study of YouTube Story Time Narratives with Jennifer Hegel

Welcome back to "Resolving Violence," the podcast dedicated to uncovering and understanding violence and abuse within Canadian prairie communities. In this episode, we are joined once again by Jennifer Hegel, who provides an in-depth look into her research on adolescent dating violence (ADV) as shared through personal YouTube narratives. Jen, armed with over 10 years of experience supporting municipal and federal law enforcement, shifts her focus to understanding why adolescents remain in abusive relationships. By conducting a thematic analysis of YouTube "storytime" videos, she shines a light on ADV experiences from the voices of female survivors who are now adults.

Throughout the episode, Jennifer discusses her method of selecting and analyzing YouTube videos, preferring this platform for its personal and detailed accounts over other social media sites like Twitter and Reddit. Her keen insights reveal how peer influences and familial relationships play significant roles in the maintenance of abusive adolescent relationships. Particularly concerning is the lack of impactful bystander intervention and the failure of friends and family members to recognize and address the abuse effectively, which often perpetuates the cycle of violence.

Jennifer and Shaylyn delve into the broader implications of her findings, emphasizing the need for better education on the nuanced signs of intimate partner violence. They advocate for increased awareness and support systems within schools and communities to teach young people about healthy boundaries and coercive control. Jennifer also touches on the importance of self-care for researchers in emotionally taxing fields and offers advice on creating safe environments for adolescents. Tune in to this vital discussion and explore the detailed research that could inspire meaningful change in the lives of those affected by dating violence.

About Our Guest: 

Jennifer Hegel is a distinguished researcher with a BA honors in psychology and a minor in crime, law, and justice studies from the University of Saskatchewan, earned in 2020. With over a decade of experience supporting municipal and federal law enforcement, Jennifer has an extensive background that informs her research focus on intimate partner violence and adolescent dating violence, particularly among Indigenous populations. Her recent work, which delves into first-person accounts of dating violence shared on YouTube, provides valuable insights into the maintenance of abusive adolescent relationships. Jennifer’s commitment to understanding and addressing interpersonal violence continues to be a driving force in her academic and professional endeavors.

To learn more about Resolve SK, head to research-groups.usask.ca/resolve/