Teen Dating Violence A Secret

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three adolescent girls will be a victim of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner. Fewer than a third of teens in abusive relationships tell their parents. They keep it a secret!

The CDC points out that unhealthy relationships can start early but may last a lifetime. Teens sometimes, because of their inexperience, think that some behaviors are normal such as teasing and name-calling. Those behaviors however can become abusive and develop into a more serious form of violence. Teens have a natural aversion to listening to adults, but adults need to step up and talk to teens about the importance of developing a healthy respectful relationship.

In today’s article we will give you some stories of what’s going on in the teen dating violence world.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma high school athletic coaches are going far beyond the game to teach their athletes about domestic violence. There is much anecdotal evidence to show that teen dating violence and teen relationship violence is a precursor to domestic violence.

It is part of a national program called “Coaching Boys Into Men.” It is a 12 week program that is hosted by the Tulsa Domestic Violence Intervention Services. The training teaches coaches how to teach their athletes about developing character building healthy relationships and preventing violence.

The idea, of course, is that athletes will listen to coaches because they are respected and usually have great relationships with them. An athlete might listen to them more than they might their parents or their teacher. I think that program has great promise.

In another story the Youth Action Corps which is part of the Summer Youth Employment program has a six week program that aims to teach teens about dating violence and help develop their problem-solving and presentation skills. The teens are divided into teams to tackle issues such as how to support a friend who’s experiencing dating violence and the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships.

They meet at Transition House-which has provided emergency shelter, transitional and supported housing and youth prevention education since 1975.

When the program ends, teens will travel to different communities making presentations to spread the awareness of domestic violence-especially teen dating violence.

In our first story that we did about Teen Dating Violence none other than the American Medical Association Journal or JAMA reports that “in 2013 among students who dated, 20.9% of female students and 10.4% of male students experienced some form of teen dating violence during the 12 months before the survey.” One In Five Teen Girls! That is twice the number of previous estimates.

A nonlethal self-defense product such as a stun gun or pepper spray is a great way for young women to protect themselves from assault.

We have 188 different Pepper Sprays to choose from starting at $4.95. We recommend one that is on a keychain because it is much more likely to be with you when it is needed.

 Have you seen evidence of teen dating violence in your life either personally, in your family or as a result of your work? Please share your experiences with us. Our readers are anxious to hear what they are.