Teens, Tweens, and Dating Violence

Liz Claiborne, Inc. runs a website, http://www.loveisrespect.org/, with information about domestic violence and dating violence. They recently commissioned a study about tweens and dating violence. You can take a look at the results of the study here:

Tween and Teen Dating Violence and Abuse Study - quick link
July 8th, 2008
Tween and Teen Dating Violence and Abuse Study
Here’s a quick link to the study featured on the CBS Early Morning Show today, co-sponsored by loveisrespect and conducted by TRU.

In the early '90s I taught violence prevention classes in the Wake County (NC) public schools to middle and high school students. The information in this study confirms what many tweens and teens were sharing with me over 15 years ago: teenagers get involved in intimate relationships and some of those relationships involve abuse and violence. The study puts some emphasis on connecting early sexual activity with experiencing abuse. That's not surprising and most likely not causal. As physical and emotional intimacy increase, abuse tends to increase. The teens who are sexually active most likely have a more involved relationship and are thus spending more time together. That leads to an increased opportunity for abuse to occur than in a relationship that is not as connected or intimate.

Take a look at the study - regardless of whether you have children or not. All of us will have contact with these youths in some capacity. They might be your neighbor, your niece's boyfriend, or feeding you food at the retirement center.