Dating violence

Today we went into the high school and taught two classes on dating violence.  It was interesting and the kids asked some great questions.  I could tell from the looks on some of the faces that parts of this were hitting home for them and on other faces – they had no clue and it was so far out of their realm of real life that they couldn’t relate.

Since this is information that should be out there, here are a few recaps for you;

One in three adolescents are victims of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a
figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence.

One in 10 high school students have been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.

One our of four high school girls have been victims of physical or sexual abuse.

Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence –
almost triple the national average.

Violent behavior typically begins between the ages of 12 and 18.

Violent relationships in adolescence can have serious ramifications by putting the victims at higher risk for substance
abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior and further domestic violence.

Adolescence is a time when you should learn about relationships and what kind of relationship you want to be in.  Not dating is not necessarily the answer.  Teaching kids how to date safely, what the warning signs are, how to get out or get help if they start getting in over their own head and how to listen to themselves and believe in themselves are far more successful than avoiding relationships.