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:
Health Effects of Violence in Youth:
-
Experiencing abuse in adolescence can put survivors at higher risk for substance use, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, and further intimate partner violence.
-
Teenage girls who have been physically or sexually abused have a 6x increased risk for becoming pregnancy and 2x increased risk for contracting STIs.
-
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:
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.