ATLANTA — February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and advocates are working to raise awareness about how common various forms of abuse are among young people.
Every year, 1.5 million high school students in the US will be abused by someone they’re dating. That's according to data from Love is Respect, a project of the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
According to Love is Respect:
- 81% of parents believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they’re unsure if it’s an issue.
- 1 in 3 teens in the US experience some form of abuse by someone they’re in a relationship with.
- 67% of those teens never told anyone about the abuse.
- Half of young people who experience physical or sexual abuse will attempt suicide.
- 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience severe physical violence from an intimate partner
Madeline Chiarella, a therapist with The Summit Counseling Center, said it's important to recognize that abuse comes in many forms.
“A lot of people forget that types of abuse go beyond physical," she said. "It's emotional, financial -- the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, it happens more than parents realize. A lot of teens don't even realize what's healthy and unhealthy, and we have to be the ones to kind of help them.”
Chiarella, who often works with teens in the Atlanta area, said parents should pay close attention to any physical or emotional changes or shifts in their children.
"Continue to have the conversations, continue to check in with them," she said. "I always tell parents there is a limit, of course. Be careful that you're not pushing too hard and making them go further into themselves; Just letting them know 'Hey, I'm here if you ever want to talk about things that are exciting or really difficult and scary to talk about, too.' And if that's not successful, then getting started with therapy."
According to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), these are a few warning signs someone may be in an abusive relationship:
- Tries to get them to engage in sexual activity that they aren’t ready for
- Sexually assaults them or coerces them into unwanted sexual activity
- Refuses to use contraception or protection against STIs during sexual activity
- Hits them or physically harms them in any way
- Doesn’t want them spending time with friends or family
- Makes threats or controls their actions
- Uses drugs or alcohol to create situations where their judgement is impaired or compromises their ability to say "yes" or "no"
- Demands details of their whereabouts
- Excessive jealousy and false accusations
- Projecting all of the blame onto them and never taking any responsibility
- Love bombing: an attempt to influence another person with over-the-top displays of attention and affection
- Gaslighting: a form of emotional abuse that makes you question your beliefs and perception of reality
If you think you or someone you love might be in an abusive relationship, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233).
You can also chat with someone virtually using the Domestic Violence Support chat function here.
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