Teen Dating: Disturbing Violent and Electronic Abuse Trends

We all know that domestic abuse exists. Husbands and wives abusing each other physically and emotionally is shocking and disturbing, but it has been happening for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years. However, there is a new, even more disconcerting trend taking place. Teenagers are physically abusing and basically stalking each other through use of cell phones and online accounts. This startling phenomenon is made worse by the fact that many teenagers are afraid to report abuse and do not know who to turn to. In honor of National Teen Violence Awareness and Prevention Week (February 5-9), new programs are underway encouraging the prevention of and education about teenage dating abuse. The first program is that of Sarah Van Zanten, pictured right, a 17 year- old from Palo Alto, California who is touring the Bay Area to educate others her age about her own terrifying experience with violence in teenage relationships. Sarah is a part of the second project, a hotline called "Love is Respect," funded by Liz Claiborne, the Office of Violence against women, and the Domestic Violence Hotline to help teenage victims of the fairly recent trend of abuse via cellular phones and the internet. I found two very interesting blogs, one addressing violence in teenage relationships, and the other addressing wireless emotional abuse. My comments on these two blogs are below.

Comment on Zendo Deb's blog about teenage violence:

To answer your opening question, boys (and girls) are getting their violent inspiration from all of those sources. Abuse tends to be a familial trait passed down through the generations, so boys are likely to hit their girlfriends if they are used to their dads hitting their moms. They are also desensitized somewhat from violent video games and movies, and they feel pressured to conform to their peers. I found a more recent study (2004) from the Department of Justice that reports that females 20-34 are now at the highest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence. Nonetheless, the statistic from TRU that 1 in 3 teenagers know someone like Sarah Van Zanten who has been physically abused is staggering, and that is only if the victims have told anyone. I congratulate you on noting that violence does not discriminate socioeconomically. In 2005, 15% of all intimate partner homicides took place in suburban areas, just under the 20% in rural areas. Teenagers need to know that socioeconomic status does not protect them from violence.

Comment on Poppy's blog about high tech student abuse:

Thank you for such a thorough post. These statistics are shocking to say the least. The technological prowess of today's teenagers certainly makes it easier for them to be in constant contact with each other. However, with the amount of sleep teenagers need (about 9 hours), I'm shocked that 24% are able to contact one another every single hour between midnight and 5am. According to a report by the National Center for Sleep Disorders Research, that disturbance in their sleep pattern is very unhealthy for them, since they are not getting any REM sleep, necessary to proper cognitive functioning. Such behavior could easily wreak havoc on a teenager's academic performance, not to mention the fact that they must be text messaging each other constantly throughout their classes (10-30 times per hour). The fact that parents are not all that aware of their teens' relentless communication with their partners is not very surprising. As adolescents get older, they spend more and more time with their friends and less time with their parents. What is worrisome is the point when these cellular relationships become obsessions. Teenagers should not have to fear repercussions from their partners for not responding to the fiftieth text message that day, nor should they hide this physical and emotional abuse from their parents. At least now they will have someone anonymous to call for advice, thanks to the new National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline, loveisrespect.org.