Violence in Teen Dating
“One out of every eleven teens reports being hit or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past twelve months.”
Dating for teens is a learning experience, it is a new skill and becomes a learned behavior. When they are young we try to teach them how to be a “good friend” and some kids catch on quicker than others. Love relationships bring on different emotions and abuse has no age limit, with a lack of dating experience it can be easy for them to get involved with an abusive partner.
According to an article in News 10 Now:
I’ve seen a lot of students that think that really jealous behavior is appropriate and they think that this person loves me so much that they want to know where I am all the time, what I’m doing, they don’t want me to be with anyone else but them. And after a while, what starts to happen is the girl starts to feel, or the boy, it could be either way, very controlled, claustrophobic and they don’t know how to get out,” said Wendy Falvey, a family and consumer science teacher.
Katie Couric on “Horrors In Teen Dating Today”
How Can You Prevent Violence In Teen Dating ?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an entire section on Talking to Teens About Healthy Relationships. What they learn now will effect relationships throughout their lifetime. According to the CDC “Dating violence is a pattern of controlling behavior that someone uses against a girlfriend or boyfriend.” It does not always have to be physical. Parents should start talking about healthy relationships early, before they begin dating. As always healthy relationships start at home, they learn as much by what we do as by what we say. Some of the skills needed for developing and maintaining a healthy relationship are:
- Respect
- Anger Management
- Problem Solving
- Negotiation and Compromise
- Assertiveness- Not aggression
For more information:
- Choose Respect – Help teens today develop key social skills to give and get respect in all their relationships and friendships.
- CDC Dating Violence Fact Sheet
- CDC TV – Break the Silence: Stop the Violence
Excellent video, worth watching
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Thanks Jordan, please visit and comment often.
Teen dating is such a confusing time. I enjoy your posts a lot, and look forward to them every week.