Teen Dating Violence:
Teen dating violence has been defined as; a problem of repeated or actual threatened acts to physically, sexually, or verbally abuse.
When one person in a relationship repeatedly scares, hurts or puts down the other person it is abuse.
Statistics on Teen Dating violence:
· 33% of all young women will experience dating violence
· 51% of students who witnessed violence between their parents had been involved in an abusive relationship
· 38% estimated young women between the ages of 14and 17 are victimized by date rape
· Studies indicate that dating violence affects at least 1 in 10 couples.
· It is one of the major sources of violence in teen life
Teen Dating Violence Website and Hotline
One in three teenagers reports knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked or physically hurt by their partner.
Nearly one in five teenage girls who have been in a relationship said a boyfriend had threatened violence or self-harm if presented with a break up.
Eighty percent of teens regard verbal abuse as a “serious issue” for their age group.
Eighty one percent of parents either believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they don’t know if it is an issue.
The above statistics reveal startling trends in the realm of teen dating violence and a need to address this important issue. Liz Clairborne Inc., who has been commissioning surveys regarding this subject since 2000, has partnered with the National Dating Violence Hotline (NCDVH) to launch a teen dating violence hotline and an interactive website. The hotline and website are funded by Liz Clairborne Inc. and staffed and operated by NCDVH.
The hotline offers 24 hr assistance for teens 13-18 or anyone else affected by teen dating violence, such as parents or friends. The website offers information and live one-on-one chat, available from 4 p.m. to midnight Central Standard Time. Each is staffed by trained teen and adult advocates. The advocates receive more than 40 hours of training from experienced staff, survivors of domestic violence and other experts.
The hotline and website provide a private outlet for teens where they can speak to another teen or an adult in confidentiality and anonymity. They both consider the obstacles, safety implications and preferred methods of communications of their users. Specifically tailored for teens, these are great resources for both those suffering from the violence and those who want to help. The numbers and the website are listed below.
Hotline:
1-866-331-9474
1-866-331-8453 TTY
Website: www.loveisrespect.org
This article was adapted from the
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