An Analysis of Teen Dating Violence
The New York Times article, A Rise in Efforts to Spot Abuse in Dating, highlights the prevalence of abuse (physical, sexual, and verbal) within teen relationships—identifying females as the most prevalent victims. As the article emphasizes the need for preventive programming, this paper will present the internet resource, Heather’s Voice and provide suggestions for a program within schools that may utilize this resource in the prevention and identification of teen dating violence/abuse. In addition, this paper will present suggestions on how this program can be evaluated. The NYT article discusses the prevalence of teen deaths due to dating violence in the U.S. over the past several years and discusses national, statewide, private, and institutional measures to aid in the prevention of this epidemic (retrieved April 20, 2009, www.nyt.com). Of the cases presented, Heather Norris’s case is highlighted to give insight around the commonness of teen dating violence and how easily it can progress and/or go undetected.
Social Problem
Intimate-partner violence, sometimes called domestic violence or spouse abuse, includes acts of physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological/emotional abuse and controlling behaviors by a current or former partner or spouse (Heise & Garcia-Moreno, 2002). It can happen within marriage, long-term partnerships or short-term intimate relationships, and can be perpetrated by ex-partners when these relationships have ended. It has been documented as largely perpetrated by men against women, although such violence also occurs in same-sex couples and can be perpetrated by women against men. As a category of interpersonal violence, intimate-partner violence includes dating violence that occurs among young people, although the pattern of such violence may be different to that experienced in the context of long-term partnerships, and studies often examine the two issues separately. Research suggests that roughly one in three high school
Social Problem
Intimate-partner violence, sometimes called domestic violence or spouse abuse, includes acts of physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological/emotional abuse and controlling behaviors by a current or former partner or spouse (Heise & Garcia-Moreno, 2002). It can happen within marriage, long-term partnerships or short-term intimate relationships, and can be perpetrated by ex-partners when these relationships have ended. It has been documented as largely perpetrated by men against women, although such violence also occurs in same-sex couples and can be perpetrated by women against men. As a category of interpersonal violence, intimate-partner violence includes dating violence that occurs among young people, although the pattern of such violence may be different to that experienced in the context of long-term partnerships, and studies often examine the two issues separately. Research suggests that roughly one in three high school
References: Harvey, A., Garcia-Moreno, C., and Butchardt, A. (2007) Primary prevention of intimate-partner violence and sexual violence. WHO, Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disabilty. 1-38. Heise & Garcia-Moreno (2002) Lavoie, F, Vezina, L, Piche, C, Boivin, M. (1995) Evaluation of a Prevention Program for Violence in Teen Dating Relationships. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol. 10, No. 4, 516-524 Pinheiro (2006) A Rise in Efforts to Spot Abuse in Dating, retrieved April 20, 2009, http://www.nyt.com Heather’s Voice, retrieved April 20, 2009, http://heathersvoice.org