Teen Dating Violence
(Section under construction: come back later to see updated information!)
Teen Dating Violence--a subset of intimate partner violence--happens far too often. Knowing the signs (you can find them here or take the quiz above) can help you detect it quickly and seek help for yourself, a child, or a friend!
The Stats:
Click through the gallery to reveal the state of Teen Dating Violence:
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SOURCE: LOVE IS RESPECT
What Parents Should Look For:
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Your teen apologizes for their partner's behavior and makes excuses for them.
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Your teen loses interest in activities that they used to enjoy. They may skip practice, school, etc.
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Your teen spends significantly less time with their friends and family. They become more isolated as they spend more time with their partner.
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Their partner calls your teen names and puts them down in public.
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Their partner acts extremely jealous of others who talk or interact with your teen.
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Their partner tells your teen that his/her parents and/or friends don't like their partner.
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Their partner controls your teen's behavior, checks-up on them constantly, calls/texts them excessively, and/or demands to know what they're doing.
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Your teen casually mentions the violence, then plays it off as a joke.
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You see your teen's partner lose control, get angry, strike/break objects, etc.
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Your teen has unexplained injuries (i.e. bruises, broken bones). If they have explanations for their injuries, they often don't make sense.
*If you think your teen may be the perpetrator of violence, feel free to call any of the resources below to obtain more information and guidance.
SOURCE: BREAK THE CYCLE
Health Effects of Violence in Youth:
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Experiencing abuse in adolescence can put survivors at higher risk for substance use, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, and further intimate partner violence.
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Teenage girls who have been physically or sexually abused have a 6x increased risk for becoming pregnancy and 2x increased risk for contracting STIs.
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Half of youth who have survived both dating violence and rape attempt suicide compared to 12.5% of non-abused girls and 5.4% of non-abused boys.
What you can do if you're experiencing Teen Dating Violence:
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Talk to a trusted adult or friend. Keep in mind that if you confide in a teacher or counselor, they may need to report the abuse to someone else.
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Call an advocate (like the ones at Helping Hands). We're available 24/7 and are confidential. Check out the bottom of this page for additional confidential resources.
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Create a safety plan. Sometimes it's safer to stay in an abusive relationship with a back-up plan than to leave one without one.
Think you might know someone in an abusive relationship? Or want to know what to do in case a sexual assault happens? Click here to learn about being an active bystander.
Resources:
Loveisrespect’s purpose is to engage, educate and empower young people to prevent and end abusive relationships.
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The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.
Helping Hands Against Violence
Hotline: 541-386-6603
Helping Hands--a non-profit in Hood River, Oregon--supports all survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and/or stalking through safety, shelter, advocacy, education, and outreach. Call us if you have questions, need guidance for yourself or a friend, or just need someone to listen.