This post was written by one of our interns, Rett Edwards.
February 1st marks the start of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM). From now until February 29th, legal organizations, non-profit organizations, and law enforcement will focus their attention on bringing awareness and education to the topic of violence and abuse in teenage relationships. Knowing about this issue is key to improving communities and the lives of young adults in this country. Here are five things you should know about violence in teenage relationships.
Teen Dating Violence (or TDV) Occurs in Multiple Forms. Teens who are victims of TDV do not only experience physical abuse. While physical abuse is a large part of the issue, many teenagers also experience sexual abuse, psychological (or emotional) abuse, and stalking. However, many victims of these forms keep them a secret and should be encouraged not to do so.
Abuse Does Not Always Take Place in Person. While as stated above, many victims of TDV experience multiple forms of abuse. Those examples occur largely in person. Both teens and adults, however, need to be aware that abuse can be experienced digitally too. These types of abuse can include spamming of degrading text messages and harassment on social media. Digital abuse can have a sexual nature as well. Victims can receive or experience harassment for “sexts,” or sexually explicit text messages, and have sexual pictures or videos of them shared online without their consent. Digital abuse needs to be treated just as seriously as other types of abuse.
It Can Affect Everyone. Studies show that TDV affects every group of young adults. According to multiple statistics taken by the CDC, 1 in 11 females and 1 in 15 male students experience physical abuse, whereas 1 in 9 females and 1 in 36 male students are victims of sexual abuse. 26% of women and 15% of men, especially in racial or sexual minority groups, will experience dating abuse before turning 18.
The Repercussions Can be Detrimental. All of these forms of abuse are equally as serious and can be detrimental to the health of teenagers and young adults. Unhealthy habits, such as tobacco, alcohol and substance abuse, are common among victims. Victims are also likely to experience symptoms of anxiety or depression and exhibit behaviors such as lying, theft or bullying. Possibly most seriously of all, abuse and violence in teenage relationships that are undealt with can set the stage for a long-lasting unhealthy relationship and lead to further victimization throughout college and adulthood.
You Can Help. As tragic as violence in teenage relationships is, there are ways we can help. Break the Cycle is one of the many great nonprofit organizations that raise awareness for the prevention of TDV. The CDC has introduced Dating Matters to raise awareness on the issue and stop dating violence before it starts. Multiple hotlines, such as The National Dating Abuse Helpline (1.866.331.9474), The National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC) (1-800-FYI-CALL), and The National Domestic Violence Hotline [1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or (1.800.787.3224 (TTY)] are available for victims to access. Love is Respect is another online resource victims can access. Teachers, mentors and other adults should encourage victims to reach out to trusted individuals about the abuse they are victims of. These trusted individuals can include parents, counselors and professionally trained individuals.
Violence and abuse in teenage relationships is a serious matter, not just because of the charges that the abusers can face, but because of the many repercussions felt by victims. If you or anybody else that you know are a victim in an abusive relationship, please look into the hotlines that are stated above and reach out to our Victim Witness Office to learn about how to report abuse.