The Rockdale News Rockdale News Digital Edition October 8, 2014 | Page 7

In Depth

The violence
starts early
BY MARTIN RAND III
Relationship violence can start as early as high school, and
many parents may not be aware of just how widespread relationship violence is among teens.
One out of every three teenagers is involved in an abusive
relationship, and one in ten high school students has been
hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend
or girlfriend within the last year, according to a 2008 survey
study from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.
But, the abuse dynamic isn’t the same for teenagers as it
may be for adults in relationships. Whereas adult victims of
domestic violence – which include physical, emotional, mental
and sexual abuse – experience a variety of abusive acts, teenage victims – mainly females – experience mostly emotional
and mental abuse.
Since the abuse inflicted doesn