Focus Adolescent Services: Teen Dating Violence

INFOCUS

Free Newsletter

Call us and we will listen to you, answer your questions, and direct you to helping resources.

443-358-4691

M-F 9 am-5 pm ET

A guide to realizing if

your child is at-risk, displaying

self-destructive behaviors, and

needs your help and intervention.

Every 6.5 seconds, a woman is physically assaulted or raped by an intimate partner – a spouse or dating partner.

25% of adolescents report verbal, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse from a dating partner each year. It would take nearly 31,000 school buses to hold all teenagers who experience dating violence in a year.

Victims of teen dating violence are more likely to do poorly in school, and report binge drinking and suicide attempts. Experiencing violence during the teen years increases risk for victimization later in life.

Information from The CDC Injury Center.

Call Now! 1-866-620-1418

Learn more how Total Transformation, an at-home program for parents, can help your troubled or struggling teen and heal your family

ABUSE: Teen Dating Violence

If Your Teen is Being Abused - If Your Teen is the Abuser

Abuse - Neglect - Physical Abuse - Emotional Abuse

Sexual Abuse - Abuse Help & Support - A Father's Critical Role

A.A.B Counseling for Teens & Adults

Teen dating violence often starts as emotional or verbal abuse and can quickly escalate into physical abuse or sexual violence.

About one in three high school students have been or will be involved in an abusive relationship. Forty percent of teenage girls ages 14 to 17 say they know someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend. (US Department of Justice, 2004 statistics)

If Your Teen is Involved in an Abusive Relationship

You must give your child the help, support, and protection she or he needs, such as:

Ask questions and listen with an open mind and heart

Communicate openly with your teen

Respect your teen's feelings

Be calm and take positive action

Set limits where appropriate

Avoid power struggles with your teen

Help set up a safety plan if your teen is trying to end the relationship

Deal with your anger and frustration in calm, reasoned, and constructive ways

Resolve conflicts with your teen early

Be a role model for your teen on issues such as sobriety, your personal relationship with your spouse and others

If Your Teen is the Abuser

It is vital that you address this issue in a way that will break the cycle of violence. There are things you can do to help your teen and others recognize the abuse, understand the dynamics behind it, and get help to stop the behavior before it becomes a life-long pattern, such as:

Recognize controlling and abusive behavior

Acknowledge your awareness of controlling and abusive behavior

Confront your teen's controlling and abusive behavior

Communicate your concerns to the parents of your teen's partner

Consult with community programs and mental health professionals for ideas

Accept help and support for your efforts from friends, family, and others in the school, church, and community

Seek help for your teen through community and mental health programs

Support your teen's efforts to stop the pattern of abuse

NEXT: Help and Support

Information on Teen Dating Violence

1 in 3 in Victims of Teen Dating Violence Has Had More Than One Abuser

A Parent's Handbook: How To Talk To Your Children About Developing Healthy Relationships ~ How to create an environment in which parents can give their pre-teen boys and girls the skills with which to have positive, healthy relationships with peers and in dating situations.

Dating Violence ~ Warning signs, dating safety, statistics, safety planning, and the Dating Bill of Rights.

Dating Violence Against Adolescent Girls & Associated Substance Use, Unhealthy Weight Control, Sexual Risk Behavior, Pregnancy, & Suicidality ~ This study clearly demonstrates a linkbetween health risk behavior and the experience of dating violenceamong adolescent girls.

Dating Violence Among Adolescents ~ Information on dating violence backed up by statistics for both heterosexual and same-sex relationships.

For Teen Daters, A Cell Phone Can Be An Abusive Leash ~ A study found that 20 to 30 percent of teens who had been in relationships said their partner had constantly checked in on them, had harassed or insulted them, or had made unwanted requests for sexual activity, all via cell phones or text messages.

Friendship as an Antidote to Dating Violence ~ Female teens are less likely to be victims of abuse during dating if they have strong support from friends.

Love Is Respect ~ Online home of the National Teen Dating Violence Helpline (1-866-331-9474) and a community where teens, their families, and friends can find support and information on dating abuse.

Peer Sexual Abuse Dangerous for Teens ~ This study found that traumatic dating experiences (where rape or other violence occurred) were linked to a sharp increase in self-destructive behaviors like suicide attempts and eating disorders.

Prescription for Teen Dating Do's & Don'ts: Parents Should Talk Openly, Set Limits ~ More than ever, teens need their parents to provide guidance and boundaries when they are ready to start dating. Here are some excellent tips for parents.

Teen Dating Violence ~ Articles, fact sheets, and informational resources on dating violence from the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center.

Teen Dating Violence: A Closer Look at Adolescent Romantic Relationships ~ Most teenagers do not experience physical aggression when they date. However, for one in 10 teens, abuse is a very real part of dating relationships, with between two and three in 10 being verbally or psychologically abused.

Teen Power & Control Wheel ~ Teen dating abuse includes harassment, intimidation, privacy violation, threats, using male privilege, limiting independence, humiliation, and isolation.

Tragic Tale of Teen Dating Violence ~ Is your daughter vulnerable to an abusive relationship? Read this powerful story on a devastating event.