Teen Dating Violence FAQ

What Is Teen Dating Violence?

Teen Dating Violence (TDV) is a pattern of abusive behaviors that someone uses for power and control over a girlfriend or boyfriend. Because this behavior is not about support and respect, it only gets worse over time. And, it creates an increasingly more dangerous situation for the young victim.

The Centers for Disease Control defines TDV “as the physical, sexual, psychological, or emotional aggression within a dating relationship, including stalking. It can occur in person or electronically and might occur between a current or former dating partner.”

The numbers.

A 2017 study by the National Institute of Justice found that 69% of youth ages 12 to 18 who were either in a relationship or had been in the past year reported being a victim of teen dating violence.

Additionally, 63 percent of that same sample acknowledged perpetrating violence in a relationship.

Psychological abuse was the most common type of abuse victimization reported (over 60 percent), but there were also substantial rates of sexual abuse (18 percent) and physical abuse victimization (18 percent).

 
GET HELP!
If you or someone you care about is in an abusive relationship, call the National Dating Abuse Hotline at 1-866-331-9474.
Go to: Get Help...Right Now
 

 

Overview - Teen Dating Violence

It's Simple: No Means No

NEXT: Consent
An absolutely required step for intimate relationships.

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