TEEN DATING VIOLENCE
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Another group of experts holds that
men generally perpetrate serious intimate
partner violence against women. They contend that men in patriarchal societies use
violence to exert and maintain power and
control over women. These experts also
maintain that “act” scales do not accurately
reflect the nature of violence in intimate
relationships because they do not consider
the degree of injury inflicted, coercive and
controlling behaviors, the fear induced, or
the context in which the acts occurred.
Studies using “act” scales, they contend,
lack information on power and control and
emphasize the more common and relatively
minor forms of aggression rather than more
severe, relatively rare forms of violence in
dating and intimate partner relationships.
Instead, supporters of this perspective use
data on injuries and in-depth interviews
with victims and perpetrators.
We believe, however, that applying
either of these adult perspectives to adolescents is problematic. Although both
views of adult intimate partner violence
can help inform our understanding of teen
dating violence, it is important to consider
how adolescent romantic relationships
differ from adult romantic relationships in
several key areas.
How Teen Dating Violence
Differs: Equal Power
One difference between adolescent and
adult relationships is the absence of elements traditionally associated with greater
male power in adult relationships. Adolescent girls are not typically dependent on
romantic partners for financial stability,
and they are less likely to have children to
provide for and protect.
The study of seventh, ninth and 11th
graders in Toledo, for example, found that
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| Iowa Fall/Winter 2013-2014 | abusemagazine.org
a majority of the boys and girls who were
interviewed said they had a relatively
“equal say” in their romantic relationships.
In cases in which there was a power imbalance, they were more likely to say that the
female had more power in the relationship.
Overall, the study found that the boys perceived that they had less power in the relationship than the girls did. Interestingly,
males involved in relationships in which
one or both partners reported physical
aggression had a perception of less power
than males in relationships without physical
aggression. Meanwhile, the girls reported
no perceived difference in power regardless of whether their relationships included
physical aggression.
It is interesting to note that adults who
perpetrate violence against family members often see themselves as powerless in
their relationships. This dynamic has yet to
be adequately explored among teen dating
partners.
Lack of Relationship
Experience
A second key factor that distinguishes
violence in adult relationships from violence in adolescent relationships is the lack
of experience teens have in negotiating
romantic relationships. Inexperience in
communicating and relating to a romantic
partner may lead to the use of poor coping
strategies, including verbal and physical
aggression. A teen who has difficulty
expressing himself or herself may turn to
aggressive behaviors (sometimes in play) to
show affection, frustration or jealousy. A
recent study in which boys and girls participated in focus groups on dating found that
physical aggression sometimes stemmed
from an inability to communicate feelings
and a lack of constructive ways to deal with
frustration.
As adolescents develop into young
adults, they become more realistic and
less idealistic about romantic relationships. They have a greater capacity for
closeness and intimacy. Holding idealistic beliefs about romantic relationships
can lead to disillusionment and ineffective coping mechanisms when conflict
emerges. It also seems reasonable to
expect that physical aggression may be
more common when adolescents have
not fully developed their capacity for
intimacy, including their ability to communicate.
Source:
Source: National Institute Of Justice