Teen Dating Violence Prevention
Definition: Teen dating violence is a pattern of controlling behavior exhibited towards one teenager by another in a dating relationship. There are three major types of teen dating violence:
- Physical abuse – hitting, punching, slapping, shoving, kicking
- Emotional abuse – threats, name calling, screaming, yelling, ridiculing, spreading rumors, isolation, intimidation, stalking, and, more recently, using technology to harass or intimidate by texting, calling, and/or bullying or monitoring via social networking sites
- Sexual abuse – unwanted touching or kissing, forced or coerced engagement in sexual acts
Magnitude of the Problem
Teen dating violence is common. Data from CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2019 indicate that among U.S. high school students who reported dating during the 12 months before the survey:
- About 1 in 12 experienced physical dating violence.
- About 1 in 12 experienced sexual dating violence.
Teen boys are more likely than girls to perpetrate sexual violence, while teen girls are more likely than boys to perpetrate psychological forms of dating violence. Research suggests that dating violence is common among U.S. teens, but that its prevalence varies by:
- Form of violence—physical, sexual, psychological, or stalking—and whether it is perpetrated in person or using technology
- Whether the teen is the perpetrator, victim, or both
- Demographic characteristics, such as age, sex, and sexual identity (CSN)
Prevention
According to the MMWR Supplement Youth Risk Behavior Survey, as of 2019, about two-thirds of students (66.1%) reported having dated or gone out with someone in the 12 months. Since dating relationships begin in early adolescence, prevention programs must start with this age group in order to be effective in deterring teen dating violence. Although more research is needed, Safe Dates, the Youth Relationships Project, the 4th R curriculum, the Ending Violence curriculum, and the Shifting Boundaries program are all promising practices for increasing awareness of the risks and consequences of dating violence and/or reducing teen dating violence behavior.