ECSO: Domestic Violence Unit - Teen Dating Violence

No teen is immune from violence. Both males and females can be victims, but they are abusive in different ways:

Girls are more likely to yell, hurt themselves, pinch, slap, scratch, or kick
Boys injure girls more severely and more frequently
Girls are more likely to be sexually abused
Between 1993-1999, 22% of homicides against females ages 16-29 were committed by an intimate partner
Male peer support for violence against women is a constant predictor of male violence.
GLBTQ youths are just as likely to experience dating violence as youths involved in opposite sex dating.
Females ages 16-24 are more vulnerable to dating violence than any other age group. ( 3X the national average)
1 in 5 female high school students report being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner
½ of adult sex offenders report committing their first sexual offenses prior to the age of 18
58% of rape victims report being raped between the ages of 12 and 24 yrs
Half of reported date rapes occur among teenagers
Intimate partner violence among teens is associated with increased risk of substance use, eating disorders, sexual risk behaviors, pregnancy and suicide
1 in 3 teens know a friend who has been physically hurt by their partner
45% of girls know a friend who has been pressured into either sexual intercourse or oral sex.

Young men may believe:

they have the right to "control" their female partners in any way necessary.
"masculinity" is physical aggressiveness
they "possess" their partner.
they should demand intimacy.
they may lose respect if they are attentive and supportive toward their girlfriends.

Young women may believe:

they are responsible for solving problems in their relationships
their boyfriend's jealousy, possessiveness and even physical abuse, is "romantic."
abuse is "normal" because their friends are also being abused.
there is no one to ask for help.