TEEN DATING VIOLENCE

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TEEN DATING VIOLENCE

• FACTS
• For School Personnel

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Dating violence cuts across race, gender and
socioeconomic lines

• Girls more likely to yell threaten to hurt
  themselves, pinch, slap, scratch or kick
• Boys injure girls more severely and frequently
• Some victims experience violence occasionally
• Others are abused more oftensometimes daily

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• Teens are at higher risk than adults
• Females 16-24 are at highest risk
• Approximately 1 in 5 female high school students
  report being abused physically and or sexually
• 94 of the time the abuse is from a current or
  former boyfriend or girlfriend
• Half of the reported date rapes occur among teens.

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Parent Awareness

• 81 of parents surveyed either believe teen
  dating violence is not an issue or admit they
  dont know if it is an issue.
• A Majority of parents (54) admit they have not
  spoken to their children about dating violence.

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TEEN Awareness

• 25 of 14-17 year olds know at least one student
  who is a victim, 11 know multiple victims, 33
  have witnessed violence.
• 20 of male students witnessed another student
  hit the person they were dating.
• 39 of female students report talking about
  whether someone is trying to control the person
  they are dating.
• 57 of teens know someone who has been physically
  abused.

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INCIDENT REPORTING

• Female students when asked whom they would talk
  to if they were a victim
• 86 would confide in a friend.
• 7 would talk to the police
• 83 reported they would rather talk to a friend
  than a teacher, parent, or counselor
• Only 33 of victims ever told anyone about the
  abuse.

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WARNING SIGNS

• Since starting to date each other one of the
  student begins to have attendance issues.
• Sudden drop in grades
• Sudden request to change schedule
• Female student has a sudden weight change
• Student no longer hangs out with the group or
  students they generally spent time with and
  instead hang out with one particular person.

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WARNING SIGNS

• A change in behavior more passive or quieter
  than usual.
• One person seems to be controlling the other.
• Dress and appearance change suddenly
• Student has constant bruising

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PREVENTION Recommendations

• 1 Talk to students about dating violence
• 2 Make the classroom a comfortable place for your
  students to come talk to you about sensitive
  issues
• RELATIONSHIP RELATIONSHIP
• 3 Follow and enforce school policy about what is
  not acceptable

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PREVENTION Recommendations

• 4. Demand that students treat each other with
  respect at all times.
• 5. Prevent language that dehumanizes and sexually
  objectifies people.
• 6. Talk to students about personal responsibility
• 7. Stress the responsibility of bystanders when a
  teen dating violence incident occurs.

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HOUSE BILL 121

• District will have a dating violence policy.
• Districts will educate staff and students about
  the issue of teen dating violence.

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WEBSITE

• www.abanet.org/publiced/teendating.shtml
• American Bar Association