DATING VIOLENCE

Dating Violence is a problem that has been emerging and it is steadily getting worse. It is believed that 1 out of every 3 teenagers experience some form of dating violence. When we think of violence, we tend to think of it mostly in physical sense such as rape, battery, and even murder. While this is a problem, there are also the issues that involve verbal abuse as well as emotional abuse. Often times these forms of violence are overlooked. Emotional and verbal abuse can have serious consequences to them, especially amongst teenagers. With teenagers it can create serious developmental side effects to them. These effects may cause them to have trouble establishing and maintaining meaningful relationships and possibly face intimacy issues down the road. Furthermore people that experience violence in dating may be more likely to face an increased risk for interpersonal violence in the future, either as the victim or as the perpetrator.

Dating Violence is not exclusive to any particular age group or race. According to the Bureau of Justice Special Report, “Intimate Partner Violence” in May of 2000, more than 4 out of every 10 incidents of domestic violence involved non-married persons. Gender does play a role with teenagers that experience violence in a dating relationship. Young women are at a higher risk for serious injury. In addition, anger was the top reason cited by both males and females for engaging in violence. Females however, cited more often that self defense was the reason for violence, in contrast to males who often cited the desire to control their partner was the reason for their violent acts. These facts support the claim that gender plays a significant role in dating violence.

What are the warning signs that you or someone else is in a violent relationship?

If think someone you know or you yourself may be in a violent relationship here are some signs:

-Sudden changes in appearance
-Avoiding contact with family and friends
-Moody and emotional
-Spends a lot of time with the abusive person
-Physically stressed
-Defends the abuser and the actions
-Feels like they deserve the abuse

Here are signs to spot the abuser:

-Drastic and sudden mood swings
-Exhibits controlling and dominating behavior as well as jealously
-History of battery
-Constantly checking in on their partner and has to know what they are doing
-Never takes accountability, it’s always someone else’s fault

Statistics

-69% of all teens who had sex by age 14 have gone through one or more types of abuse in a relationship.
-40% of girls between the ages of 14 and 17 say they know someone their age that has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend.
-6 out of 10 rapes of young women occur in their own home, a friend’s home, or a relative’s home, not in a dark alley.
-A survey of 500 young women, between the ages of 15 – 24 found that 60% were currently involved in an ongoing abusive relationship and that all the participants had experienced violence in a dating relationship.
-A survey of adolescent and college students revealed that date rape accounted for 67% of sexual assaults.
-More than half young women raped (68%) knew their rapist either as a boyfriend, friend or casual acquaintance.
-In 1995, 7% of all murder victims were young women who were killed by their boyfriends.

What to do if you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship?

If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, things need to change. The first step is for the victim in the relationship to realize and understand that they don’t deserve to be treated that way and that change is needed. They need to tell someone that they are being abused. The victim should contact local law enforcement officials. It may also be a good idea for the victim to document all injuries. Additionally, calling a local domestic violence hotline may be helpful as well. It is important to realize that there are a lot of people out there that are willing to help. You just need to reach out.

Hotline Phone Numbers

-Utah Domestic Violence Link Line: 1-800-897-LINK(5465)
-Rape & Sexual Assault Crisis Line: 1-888-421-1100
-National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233

Reference Links

-http://www.acadv.org/dating.html#clues
-http://www.actforyouth.net/documents/Feb06.pdf
-http://www.actforyouth.net/documents/Feb06.pdf