Dating violence a common experience for teens

Teen datingRecent research presented at the American Psychological Association’s meeting in Honolulu finds that about one in three American teens report being victims of dating violence. Almost one in three teens also acknowledge they’ve committed violence toward a date.

Researchers analyzed information collected in 2011 and 2012 from 1,058 youths, ages 14 to 20, in the Growing Up with Media study, a national online survey funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study defines teen dating violence as physical, sexual or psychological/emotional violence within a dating relationship.

“When we think about violence, we often think about someone being punched or beaten. Physical abuse is a devastating type of dating violence, but psychological and sexual violence also hurt keenly and can cause lasting damage,” said Jen Brown, a nurse with Seattle Children’s adolescent medicine team.

Interestingly, the study also found that young women are more likely to be physically violent towards young men and that teens who have a history of bullying peers are seven times more likely to commit dating violence.

In the latest post from Seattle Children’s Teenology 101 blog, Brown discusses the key findings from the study and provides advice for parents about important actions they can take to address and prevent acts of dating violence among teens.

If you’d like to arrange an interview with Jen Brown or another member of our adolescent medicine team, please contact Children’s PR team at 206-987-4500 or at [email protected].