‘Enforcements of Vulnerability’: A Qualitative Study Exploring Trusted Adults’ Perspectives on Adolescent Partner Violence

Despite the growth of research in the United Kingdom exploring adolescent partner violence (APV), the perspectives of adults working with young people have been excluded. This exploratory study used interviews with safeguarding leads, pastoral workers and service practitioners to understand their perspectives on APV. Thematic analysis generated four themes: (a) a lack of conceptual clarity; (b) multiple oppressions and harmful relationship norms; (c) inadequate prevention and support; and (d) collaborative intervention. The findings, analysed through an intersectional lens, highlight the complexities of APV and the need for greater clarity, tailored support and collaboration between young people, their guardians and professionals. Theoretically, this advances current scholarship by situating the drivers of APV within interlocking systems of oppression, thereby embedding individual experiences within wider structural power relations. These findings extend the literature by evidencing the limitations of rigid victim-perpetrator labels and advancing a more nuanced, intersectionally informed understanding of relationship harm, particularly in the context of alternative provision.