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ABUSE MAGAZINE
Teen
Dating
Abuse
Do you know the facts?
opmental perspective, navigating such issues
can cause conflict and, for some adolescents,
lead to aggressive responses and problematic
coping strategies, such as stalking, psychological or verbal abuse, and efforts to gain control.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Adult relationships differ substantially from
adolescent dating in their power dynamics,
social skill development and peer influence.
These factors are critical to understanding
physical violence and psychological abuse in
early romantic relationships and may help
explain the similar perpetration rates among
boys and girls suggested by current statistics.
All of this points to important implications
for teen dating violence prevention and intervention strategies. Because girls engage in
high levels of physical aggression and psychological abuse and most abusive relationships
are characterized by mutual aggression, prevention efforts must be directed toward both
males and females, and interventions for victims should include services and programming
for boys and girls. Interventions must also
distinguish between severe forms of violence
that produce injury and fear and other more
common abuse, and they must respond with
appropriate safety planning, mental health
services, and criminal or juvenile justice
involvement.
More research on traditionally gendered
relationship dynamics — and the links to
relationship violence — is also needed. For
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instance, some male behavior may stem from
an attempt to emulate other males who they
believe (not always accurately, as data show)
are confident and “in charge.” Further, nearly
one in five adolescent girls reports having
sex with a partner three or more years older.
These girls are at increased risk of acquiring a
sexually transmitted disease because they are
less likely to use a condom — possibly a result
of unequal power dynamics in these relationships. This power imbalance might also
increase their risk for violent victimization by
older partners.
And finally, research on the extent to
which teens involved in abusive relationships
become involved in adult abusive relationships — whether as victims or perpetrators
— is sorely needed. Many delinquent youth,
for example, have a well-documented path of
illegal behavior; this behavior peaks in adolescence and dramatically declines in early
adulthood. A similar look at aggressive adolescent romantic relationships may help us
better understand the possible progression
from teen dating violence to adult intimate
partner violence.
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We are proud to support
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abusemagazine.org | Illinois Spring/Summer 2014 |
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