Teen Dating Violence - Some Preventive Strategies

Preventing Teen Dating Violence 

                                                 By Ishita Ghosh

Dating violence among teenagers is a significant public health crisis with long-lasting effects on the mental and emotional growth of the victims. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), teens who experience dating violence are more likely to exhibit antisocial behaviors, engage in tobacco, drug, and alcohol use, experience depression and anxiety, and consider suicide. These symptoms can continue into adulthood. 

Are schools addressing teen dating violence (TDA)? 

As per the U.S. Department of Education’s fact sheet for schools, nearly half of the students in a study reported experiencing dating violence on school grounds. Policymakers are taking this issue seriously, and at least 23 states have laws that allow, urge or require school boards to include curriculum on TDV. States have also adopted TDV awareness week or month to bring attention to safe dating practices. However, not many schools have written policies on dating violence-related safety, security, and intervention. A study conducted by Ball State University reveals that the majority (81.3%) of the school counselors reported not having a protocol in their schools to respond to incidents of dating violence. Further, 90 percent of the school counselors reported that no training was provided to school personnel to assist survivors of dating violence, and 76 percent of the school counselors reported that their school did not have a committee that meets periodically to address health and safety issues that include dating violence. 

What schools need to do 

Policy, training, and support are the three most important things that schools need to put in place to address TDV. In an interview with ABC News, Colleen Yeakle of the Indiana Coalition to End Domestic Violence says that policies give clear guidance to the school staff about their responsibilities and that most policies include staff training to prepare them to notice signs of abuse, proactively intervene before it escalates. Some steps that schools can take to address TDV:  

●      Develop comprehensive protocol and guidelines to address incidences of TDV

●      Educate the school staff about the identification and prevention of TDV 

●      Train teachers and students to take protective measures against online abuse 

●      Provide peer education / and bystander education on identification, reporting, and prevention of dating abuse  

●      Educate teens to recognize behavior that is demeaning, controlling, isolating, or possessive. Teach them about respect and healthy relationships to prevent dating abuse. 

●      Develop appropriate responses to address TDV. Take into account barriers such as victims' reluctance to report sexual violence / normalizing of physical abuse. Ensure that victims have a safe place to report incidents

●      Provide adequate support to the victims and address the behavior and needs of perpetrators

 Start early 

The severe consequences of TDV necessitate early childhood intervention both at home and school. Center for Violence Prevention suggests addressing the issue as early as the elementary school years along with increasing awareness among parents and school personnel. Children should be taught about healthy relationships, boundaries, and consent with age-appropriate messages through childhood and teen years. Development of healthy relationships from the early years, including learning how to manage feelings and communicate respectfully, can potentially reduce the incidences of TDV and prevent long-lasting harmful effects on teens, their families, and their communities. 

Are parents aware?

Even though teen dating violence is widespread, research shows that the majority of parents are not cognizant of the seriousness of the issue. According to a  study done by Hofstra University, 81% of parents surveyed either believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they do not know if it is an issue. Since early socialization of children regarding healthy relationships is crucial to counter abusive interpersonal relationships in adolescence, parents need to be made aware of the steps they can take in preventing TDV. 

Tips for parents 

Parents can help children understand healthy interpersonal boundaries through positive reinforcement in the following ways: 

●      Talking about the importance of respect, trust, honesty, equality, and compromise

●      Setting good examples of healthy interpersonal relationships. Children can be seriously affected by intimate partner violence at home and face negative consequences 

●      Teaching the child to be assertive, to disagree respectfully and, about the importance of  consent

●      Teaching children the warning signs of unhealthy friendships/relationships, including bullying, jealousy, and controlling behavior

●      Get involved when a child shows warning signs of an unhealthy relationship, including mood changes, sleep and eating patterns, withdrawal from former friends, declining school performance, loss of interest in a favorite sport or activity. If the child is being abused, seek the help of a professional counselor, school staff, and if need be the police

The Covid -19 factor

 During the Covid-19 school closure, students moved to digital platforms to continue school as well as social interaction with their peers. It is likely that in absence of physical interaction, teen dating violence could still occur in the form of abuse, harassment, coercion, and stalking through digital technology. In fact, a survey done by the Urban Institute shows that one in four dating teens is abused or harassed online or through texts by their partners. Incidentally, the National Domestic Violence Hotline showed a 101 percent increase in reports of digital abuse from 2019 to 2020 and with many of these being from young people. The Hotline’s specific platform (Love is respect) for teens and young adults saw a surge in the number of calls from the beginning of the pandemic. (Obenschain and Jackson, 2021).​​ 

 It may be too early to understand the repercussions of Covid -19 related long-term school closure on TDV and whether or not there will be increased dating violence when regular school resumes. A  study done in 2009 on a Texas High School in the direct path of Hurricane Ike established a link between sudden trauma and increased TDV. The data revealed that once school reopened, non-evacuated high school students (direct exposure to Hurricane Ike) exhibited higher rates of physical and sexual TDV (both perpetration and victimization) than the evacuated students. Given that Covid-19 related mass disruption of schooling has caused varying degrees of trauma, anxiety, and stress among students, the possibility of an increase in TDV is an issue which schools, families, and policymakers need to consider seriously. 

Editor’s Note: We want to than Beth Simon for recommending a tremendously helpful Domestic Violence Resource Guide having a full GLOBAL list of international help centers and organizations for women all over the world.

You can see it here: https://www.mysticmag.com/psychic-reading/domestic-violence-resource-guide/

                                              Resources

  1. CDC developed Dating Matters®: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships\

  2. Preventing Intimate Partner Violence Across the Lifespan

  3. Shifting Boundaries Youth Dating Violence Prevention Program

  4. A Training for Specialized Instructional Support Personnel: Guide for teachers

  5. #1Thing Helpers Action Guide: Guide for parents and educators

References

 

  1. “Domestic Violence Support . The National Domestic Violence Hotline.” https://www.thehotline.org/.Accessed 2 Aug. 2021.

  2. “For Educators - Teen Dating Violence Awareness.” Teen Dating Violence Awareness, https://www.teendvmonth.org/resources/for-educators/.Accessed 2 Aug. 2021.

  3. “Hofstra Law Home Page - Maurice A. D.” School of Law - Hofstra University, https://law.hofstra.edu/.Accessed 2 Aug. 2021.

  4. “I Ask How to Teach Consent Early ”, National Sexual Violence Resource Center, https://www.nsvrc.org/i-ask-how-teach-consent-early.Accessed 2 Aug. 2021.

  5. Obenschain and Jackson, 2021“Teen Dating Violence and Digital Abuse During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Center for Injury Research and Prevention, https://injury.research.chop.edu/blog/posts/teen-dating-violence-and-digital-abuse-during-covid-19-pandemic.Accessed 2 Aug. 2021.

  6. “Preventing Teen Dating Violence.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/teendatingviolence/fastfact.html.Accessed 2 Aug. 2021

  7. “Study American Schools Unable to Handle Teen Dating Violence.” Ball State University

  8. https://www.bsu.edu/news/press-center/archives/2012/7/study-american-schools-unable-to-handle-teen-dating-violence.Accessed 2 Aug. 2021.

  9. “Teen Dating Abuse and Harassment in the Digital World.” Www.Urban.Org, ,https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/23326/412750-Teen-Dating-Abuse-and-Harassment-in-the-Digital-World.PDF.Accessed 2 Aug. 2021.

  10. “Teen Dating in the United States-A Fact Sheet for Schools.” U.S. Department of Education, https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/oshs/teendatingviolence-factsheet.html#_edn13.Accessed 2 Aug. 2021.

  11. “Teen Dating Violence.”National Conference of State Legislatures, https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/teen-dating-violence.aspx. Accessed 2 Aug. 2021.

  12. “Teen Dating Violence Prevention.” Center for Violence Prevention, https://violence.chop.edu/types-violence/dating-violence.Accessed 2 Aug.2021

 

Paul Privateer