The protective effect of social support on student engagement for high school students experiencing dating abuse

textThe purpose of this study is to examine the role of social support as a moderator between dating abuse and student engagement. Informed by the positive youth development perspective and the stress-buffering model, this study will examine the effects of dating abuse victimization on student engagement and the buffering role of social support in that relationship. Specifically, this study will use self-report measures from a rural/semi-rural, high school sample and multiple regression analysis to determine the effect of dating abuse on student engagement. If a significant relationship is found between dating abuse and student engagement, this study will then use multiple regression analysis to determine the moderating effect of social support on the relationship between dating abuse and student engagement. Research on the protective effects of social support on student engagement is critical to the design and implementation of interventions which have the potential to significantly improve the health, mental health, social, and education outcomes for adolescents who have experienced dating abuse.Educational Psycholog