VIDEO: BCSO, Sheriff Wayne Ivey’s Crime Prevention Tip of the Week Focuses On Teen Dating Violence
By Space Coast Daily // February 6, 2017
ABOVE VIDEO: Dating violence is widespread with serious long-term and short-term effects. (BCSO Video)
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Dating violence is widespread with serious long-term and short-term effects.
Many teens do not report it because they are afraid to tell friends and family.
A 2011 CDC nationwide survey found that 23% of females and 14% of males who ever experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, first experienced some form of partner violence between 11 and 17 years of age.
The 2013 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey found approximately 10% of high school students reported physical victimization and 10% reported sexual victimization from a dating partner in the 12 months* before they were surveyed.
As teens develop emotionally, they are heavily influenced by experiences in their relationships. Healthy relationship behaviors can have a positive effect on a teen’s emotional development. Unhealthy, abusive, or violent relationships can have severe consequences and short- and long-term negative effects on a developing teen.
Youth who experience dating violence are more likely to experience the following:
Symptoms of depression and anxiety
– Engagement in unhealthy behaviors, such as tobacco and drug use, and alcohol
– Involvement in antisocial behaviors
– Thoughts about suicide
Additionally, youth who are victims of dating violence in high school are at higher risk for victimization during college.
Communicating with your partner, managing uncomfortable emotions like anger and jealousy, and treating others with respect are a few ways to keep relationships healthy and nonviolent. Teens receive messages about how to behave in relationships from peers, adults in their lives, and the media. All too often these examples suggest that violence in a relationship is normal, but violence is never acceptable. There are reasons why violence occurs.
Violence is related to certain risk factors. Risks of having unhealthy relationships increase for teens who —
– Believe that dating violence is acceptable
– Are depressed, anxious, or have other symptoms of trauma
– Display aggression towards peers or display other aggressive behaviors
– Use drugs or illegal substances
– Engage in early sexual activity and have multiple sexual partners
– Have a friend involved in dating violence
– Have conflicts with a partner
– Witness or experience violence in the home
Dating violence can be prevented when teens, families, organizations, and communities work together to implement effective prevention strategies.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention contributed to this report
