Understanding Teen Dating Violence
Understanding Teen Dating Violence
by Ishita Ghosh
What is teen dating violence?
Teen dating violence (TDV) is a pattern of behavior that includes physical, psychological or sexual abuse, harassment, or stalking of any person ages 12 to 18 in the context of a past or present romantic or consensual relationship. TDV is also referred to as adolescent dating abuse or intimate partner violence.
The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that both teenage girls (1in 11) and teenage boys (1 in 14) experience physical dating violence. Among high school students, about 1 in 8 girls and 1 in 26 boys reported having experienced sexual dating violence. Further, the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey revealed that 26% of women and 15% of men who were victims of intimate partner violence in their lifetime first experienced some form of dating violence by that partner before age 18.
Overall, 1 in 3 teens in the US experience dating violence either in person, online or, through technology. This includes physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse and stalking by intimate partners. The data also shows that adolescents from sexual minority groups and some racial/ethnic minority groups tend to be at greater risk of dating violence.
Long term effects of teen dating violence
The CDC considers TDV to be a public health issue. Teens who experience dating violence are more likely to engage in unhealthy and antisocial behaviors, which can continue into adulthood. Victims of TDV can suffer long-term or short term negative consequences such as :
● Mental health issues - poor school performance, anxiety, severe depression, self-harm, or thoughts of suicide
● Unhealthy behavior - tobacco use, substance abuse, alcoholism, eating disorders
● Antisocial behavior - victims of TDV are likely to internalize the abuse and, as a reaction, exhibit antisocial behavior (bullying, hitting, lying, theft, etc.)
● Teen pregnancies - Studies indicate that teen girls in abusive relationships are at a greater risk of becoming pregnant and being subjected to continued abuse during pregnancy
● Under reporting - TDV victims are often reluctant to report their experiences for fear of being judged or not believed. This can lead to serious long-term consequences and health concerns
● Long-term effect on intimate relationships - Adolescents who have been in abusive relationships are likely to have difficulties in forming healthy intimate relationships as adults and will be at risk of continued perpetration and/or victimization of intimate partner violence
Who is at risk?
To address TDV, it is important for educators, families, and public policy health policymakers to recognize what contributes to or increases the risk of victimization or perpetration of interpersonal violence. According to the Centre for Violence Prevention, various factors can increase the risk for interpersonal violence victimization or perpetration among adolescents, with some overlap between both.
Some common factors contributing to victimization are : history of direct or indirect physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse, including childhood abuse and thereby a normalization of abuse; prior injury from a dating partner; history of alcohol or drug use by either partner; witnessing violence in the home, etc.
Some common factors leading to perpetration are: has experienced trauma; has depression, low self-esteem, has witnessed violence in the home; knows peers involved in dating violence; has engaged in peer violence like bullying; uses alcohol or drugs; believes that dating violence is acceptable.
Identifying signs of dating violence
Signs that a young person may be a victim of dating violence that bystanders like friends, educators, family, and community members can look out for:
● Becoming isolated from family and friends
● Losing interest in activities previously enjoyed
● Apologizing and making excuses for the abusive behavior of the dating partner
● Being called names and demeaned by dating partner in front of other people
● Having a dating partner who is extremely jealous of the attention
● Having a dating partner who breaks objects, hurts animals, or threatens people or things the victim cares about
● Having bruises or injuries that can’t be satisfactorily explained
● Being constantly monitored by a dating partner through phone calls, texts, or other people
If you are concerned about yourself or someone being abused, call the National Dating Abuse Helpline at the Love is Respect website by telephone at 1-866-331-9474 or text 7705
References
1. “Dating Violence Has Long-Term Consequences for Teens - MSU Extension.” MSU Extension, 10 July 2012, https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/dating_violence_has_long-term_consequences_for_teensAccessed 30 July 2021.
2. “Preventing Teen Dating Violence |Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/teendatingviolence/fastAct.html. Accessed 30 July 2021.
3. “Teen Dating Violence ” Center for Violence Prevention, https://violence.chop.edu/types-violence/dating-violence.Accessed 30 July 2021.
4. “Teen Dating Violence ” National Institute of Justice, https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/crimes/teen-dating-violence. 30 July 2021.
5. “The Facts on Adolescent Pregnancy, Reproductive Risk and Exposure to Dating and Family Violence.” Family Violence Prevention Fund, https://www.futureswithoutviolence.org.Accessed 30 July 2021.