Dating is getting to know one's partner with the aim of forging a long-term relationship. With the onset of the 21st-century, teen dating has been on the rise, a variation from the traditional norm where dating was preserved for the mature and those of ages ripe for marriage.
Most of the teenage relationships stem from hook-ups by mutual friends, meetups through online dating sites, hook-ups at parties and mere sexual attraction. These not being concrete foundations to a stable and fully working relationship, teen experience occasional violence in there dating experiences.
The CDC reports 10% of high school students reported cases of physical victimization.
Forms of violence
We could classify teen dating violence into basically 4 forms:
- Physical - Physical abuse comes in the form of fights between the partners which could cause bodily harm or even loss of life.
- Sexual - This could go to the extremes of rape.
- Psychological or emotional - Victimization could lead to depression.
- Electronic or cyberbullying - Involves use of social media to undermine one's partner. Either through the posting of nasty pictures or degrading information.
What are the causes of violence in teen dating?
For most teenagers, inexperience is more or less the main cause for violence. To them, it's been made to seem that violence in relationships while dating is a usual occurrence which is rather retrogressive.
Also, some teenagers have grown in families where violence is a norm especially when those involved in it are there parents and or guardians. They, therefore, enter their own relationships not knowing any better.
Poor peer influence is another cause of teen dating violence. The notion that "everybody is doing it" is the very scourge that encourages our teenagers to violence in their relationships. Being that violence to them has been made the easiest way out of relationship conflict.
Having multiple sexual partners is always a cause for concern in relationships and a major cause of violence. No one partner can stomach being cheated on having given they're all in a dating experience. This poses a great risk to the balance in a relationship.
Drug abuse impairs one's judgment. In a relationship where one or both of the partners abuse drugs, there is a very high probability of violence.
Generally, aggressive behaviour among teenagers for one reason or the other could lead to violence in the relationship.
What are the consequences of violence in teen dating?
Violence in dating could have various effects on various people depending on the severity of violence in the relationship.
- Drug abuse - As much as it's a cause, drug abuse could also come up as a result of violence in dating. Teens being known as people who find an easy way out of situations, they are prone to indulging in drug abuse to "forget" the problems in their dating life.
- Suicidal tendencies - In elevated situations, violence in teen dating could lead to one or both partners having suicidal tendencies. The violence could go on to a point where death seems a more settling solution.
- Errant anti-social behaviour - Errant anti-social behaviour could be caused by violence in dating where an individual is afraid of or doesn't want to mingle with their peers or is hot-tempered and look to violence as the only solution to any kind of conflict.
- Depression - On occasions, violence in teen dating could lead to depression. For an individual who is violated so often, they start to see themselves as a lesser person and even worthless leading to depression.
Other consequences:
- Emotional instability
- As a result of violence on of the partners could be severely hurt especially after physical abuse leading even to death.
How to resolve violence in teen dating
- The primary means of resolving violence in teen dating is fostering healthy communication among the partners. With constant communication between the partners, there is a minimal probability of a conflict arising or even if it does it won't necessarily be violent.
- Getting to know the root cause of the conflict goes a long way in helping find a peaceful resolution.
- Education on how to compromise. The partners should be able to learn each other's weaknesses and in case of any conflict compromise at the others point of weakness so as to resolve any disagreements peacefully. This can be done through different education programs.
- Managing the conflict before it goes out of hand. While dating, the partners should not let any kind of disagreements escalate to violent confrontations.
- Treating one another with respect. Once respect is the basis of a relationship, rarely will you find conflicts getting violent since each partner knows their limits.
- Being faithful in one's relationship will provide a sense of security for the other party thereby reducing any chances of friction between the partners on the line of infidelity hence fostering peaceful coexistence.
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