Teens and Teen Dating Violence
Understanding Dating Violence
Dating violence is a pattern of violent behavior—physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal—by one partner in a dating relationship toward the other partner. It can happen to teens at any age, no matter what race, ethnicity, or religion they are, and no matter their level of education or economic background. Dating violence can also occur in same-sex relationships.
Teens and adults are often unaware of how regularly dating violence occurs, so it is important to help people realize that dating violence can happen to teens as well as to adults.
Several different terms may be used to describe dating violence, including but not limited to:
- Relationship abuse
- Intimate partner violence
- Relationship violence
- Dating abuse
- Domestic violence
Dating Violence Facts
- About 72% of students in 8th and 9th grade report "dating." By the time they are in high school, 54% of students report dating violence among their peers.
- About one in 11 teens reports being a victim of physical dating violence each year.
- About one in 4 teens reports verbal, physical, emotional, or sexual violence each year.
- About one in 5 teens reports being a victim of emotional abuse.
- About one in 5 high school girls has been physically or sexually abused by a dating partner.
Some teens and adults may think of dating violence as only physical violence—pinching, slapping, hitting, or shoving. They may not recognize that any relationship involving physical violence, sexual violence, emotional abuse, or the threat of violence is an unhealthy relationship. Emotional and verbal abuse—threatening or insulting words, texting excessively, spreading rumors, and controlling someone's activities—may not leave visible physical marks, but can leave painful emotional scars. If no action is taken, emotional abuse may become more severe and begin to include sexual and physical violence.
Because teens are well connected through today's technology, cell phones and the Internet have become tools of dating violence through which emotional abuse and sexual violence can occur. More than 80% of adolescents own at least one form of new media technology (e.g., computer, cell phone) and they are using this technology with increasing frequency to text, IM, e-mail, blog, and access social networking websites.
Using technology to threaten, harass, or bully a peer is called electronic aggression, and a significant majority of parents are completely unaware that technology such as this poses a risk for teens.
Perpetrators of violence may feel insecure or uncertain about themselves or their lives, so they may use power and control in their relationships to make themselves feel better. But no matter what excuses perpetrators make to themselves or their dating partners for their behaviors, violence is still their choice.
The following factors may contribute to someone becoming a perpetrator of dating violence:
- Believing that it is okay to use threats or violence to get their way or to express frustration or anger
- Problems managing one's anger or frustration
- Hanging out with violent peers
- Having low self-esteem and depression
- Not having parental supervision and support
- Witnessing violence at home or in the community
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