Teen Dating Violence Prevention presentation by Tracy Vahle, Family Violence Prevention Specialist, Interface Children and Family Services

1. Tracy Vahle
Family Violence Prevention Specialist
Interface Children and Family Services

2. Define teen dating violence
Understand barriers to help-seeking
Identify risk-factors
Use teen dating violence prevention strategies
Help teens who are in unhealthy/abusive
relationships
Available Resources

3. Do I believe I can intervene and prevent the
legacy of abuse?

4. Tween Teen Young Adult
A pattern of behaviors used to
obtain power and controlover
another person

5. How Much do I Know about Teens
and their Reality?
Approximately, what
percent of teens in 8th &
9th grade are in dating
relationships?
A. 25% B. 50 % C. 75%
Please indicate your response…

6. Did you Know That…?
 Nearly 75% of eighth and ninth graders consider
themselves to be “dating”.
 One in five 13-14 year olds in relationships know friends and peers who have
been struck in anger by a boyfriend/girlfriend.
 Significant levels of abusive behavior are reported in
tween dating relationships, and teens report that abusive
behavior increases dramatically in the teen years (age 15-
18)
Sources: Love Is Respect & Liz Claiborne

7. Did you Know That…?
 1 in 3 high school
students has been or will
be in an abusive
relationship.
 Females, ages 16-24, are
more vulnerable to
intimate partner violence
than any other age group–
at a rate almost triple the
national average.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice

8. Types of Abuse
Physical
Sexual
Emotional /
Verbal
Digital

9. Physical
Sexual
Emotional /
Verbal
Digital
Nearly 1.5 million
high school students
nationwide
experience physical
abuse from a dating
partner in a single
year.
Source: Loveisrespect.org

10. Physical
Sexual
Emotional /
Verbal
Digital
76% of female high
school students
surveyed reported that
they had experienced
one or more incidents of
unwanted sexual
activity, including
unwanted kissing,
hugging, groping and/or
sexual intercourse.
Source: NRCDV

11. Physical
Sexual
Emotional /
Verbal
Digital
Half of the reported
date rapes occur
among teenagers.
Source: CALCASA

12. Physical
Sexual
Emotional /
Verbal
Digital
61% of high school
students reported
having had a partner
who made them feel bad
or embarrassed about
themselves.
Source: Liz Claiborne

13. Physical
Sexual
Emotional /
Verbal
Digital
______of all teens
regard boyfriends and
girlfriends spreading
rumors (via cellphone,
email, IM, text, web chat,
a blog, or networking
site) about a dating
partner to be a serious
problem.
A. 15% B. 33% C. 55% D. 71%

14. Physical
Sexual
Emotional /
Verbal
Digital
1 in 5 “Sexting” type
messages are shared
with other people.
50% of those are
shared with multiple
people.
Source: MTV A Thin Line

15. Physical
Sexual
Emotional /
Verbal
Digital
22% of young people
report their
significant other
checks in on them
too often.
25% report having
their bf/gf read their
texts without
permission.
Source: MTV A Thin Line

16. Do Males and Females Experience the Same
Types of Abuse?
Males
 Unwanted Calls / Visits
 Threats
 Put-Downs
 Insults
 Controlling Behavior
Females
 Threats
 Slapped / Hit
 Insults
 Pressured Sex
 Put-Downs, Name Calling
 Controlling Behavior
Source: BMC Public Health: Dating Violence Victimization Across the Teen Years: Abuse
Frequency, Number of Abusive Partners, and Age at First Occurrence.

17. Teen Vulnerability
Healthy
Relationships
Social
Supports
Misinterpretation

18. Why are more Teens today
Vulnerable to Dating Violence?
20s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 2000

19. Media Saturation

20. “The average teen is exposed
to more than 8 hours of mass
media daily” (Manganello,
2008).
“American children see more
than 8,000 murders and more
than 100,000 other violent
acts (e.g., assaults, rapes) on
network television by the end
of elementary
schools”(Bushman &
Anderson, 2001).

21. Recognize these images?
TV TV
News Media
Movies
Video Games Magazines
Images: Universal Pictures; MTV; Summit Entertainment; GTA; D&G Ads Inc.,

22. Media Influence on Teens
Role Models and
Examples
Source of
Information on
Dating
Relationships

23. Emotional and Brain
Development
The parts of the brain that
 Control impulses
 Foresee consequences
 Regulate emotions
do not fully develop until
the early twenties

24. Risk Factors
for
Victimization
Poverty
Emotional
Dependence
Lack of
Parental
Behavioral
Problems
Location Support
Associating
with Violent
Peers
Previous
Experience
with Violence
Age
Difference
Source: CDC

25. Risk
Factors for
Perpetration
Aggressive
Behavior
Relationship
Conflict
Friends in
Violent
Relationships
Negative
Same Sex
Peer
Relationships
Exposure to
Community
Violence
Presence of
Bystanders

26. Risk Factors for Victimization &
Perpetration
 Belief that it is acceptable to use
violence to resolve conflict
 Unhealthy family relationships
 Low academic achievement
 Low self esteem
 Drugs and alcohol
 Acceptance of traditional gender
roles
 Emotional issues
 Depression
 Changes in personality
Victimization
Perpetration

27. What Unique Obstacles Do Teens
Face?
Dependence Education Age
Source: Violence Against Women Online Resources

28. 50% stayed out of
fear
Source: Trauma Violence & Abuse: Teens, Dating Violence, and Media Use : A Review of the Literature and
Conceptual Model for Future Research

29. How Much do I Know about Teens
and their Reality?
A. Parent B. Police officer
C. Counselor or
teacher
D. Friend
E. Minister or
priest
When teens experience
abuse, who do they first
seek help from?
Please indicate your response…

30. Help-seeking among Latino, 9th
graders in Los Angeles
Formal Sources of Support
 Counselors or teachers at
school
 School nurse
 Doctor or other health
professional
 Minister or priest
 Police officer
 Lawyer
Informal Sources of Support
 Friends
 Parent or guardian
 Brother, sister, other
family members
Source: Violence Against Women. Latino Teens Talk
About Help Seeking and Help Giving in Relation to
Dating Violence

31. Physical
Health
Emotional
Health
Social Risky
Behaviors
Impact of TDV
Homicide

32. Impact of TDV

33. Emotional and Brain
Development
 "When a teen is battered,
critical development work may
be interrupted. The stress and
confusion of an abusive
relationship can leave the
victim with a diminished
capacity to think, learn, and
plan for the future" (Sousa,
1999).

34. What Can I Do to
Prevent TDV?
Know the signs!
Educate Teens & Parents
Encourage youth to examine
media
Model healthy
characteristics/Support healthy
relationships
Share information

35. Tips for Working with Young Adults
 Language, lean towards
and away from…
 Recognize and adapt for
cultural differences
 Share power with young
adults
 Follow through
 Take care of yourself

36. Teens need and want a
Professional, Caring Adult who
is….. Authentic
Approachable
Accepting
Available
4

37. What Can I Do?
Supporting Teens
 Validate (Listen & Believe)
 Empathize
 Generalize
 Explore Options
 Build on Strengths
 Offer Resources and Support
 Respect their Right to make their own Decisions

38. Where can I Direct Young Adults?
 www.Loveisrespect.org
 1-866-331-9474 National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline
 1-866-331-8453 TTY
 www.thatsnotcool.com
 www.loveisnotabuse.com
 http://icfs.org/teen-dating-violence.html
 Tools
 Equality Wheel
 http://www.ncdsv.org/images/teenequalitywheelnoshading-ncdsv.pdf
 Power and Control Wheel
 http://www.loveisrespect.org/is-this-abuse/power-and-control-wheel
 Healthy Relationship Quiz
 http://www.loveisrespect.org/pdf/Healthy_Relationship_Quiz.pdf
 Teen Safety Plan
 http://www.loveisrespect.org/pdf/Teen-Safety-Plan.pdf

39. Resources for Professionals
 California Partnership to End Domestic Violence
 http://www.cpedv.org/
 1-800-524-4765
 Teen Dating Violence Prevention Recommendations
 http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/unmet/teenabus
eguide.authcheckdam.pdf
 Futures without Violence
 http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/
 Helping Teens Stop Violence, Build Community and Stand for
Justice, Alan Creighton and Paul Kivel (2011)

40. Strengthening children, families and communities
to be safe, healthy and thriving.
Mental Health
•
Youth and Family
Strengthening
•
Family Violence
Intervention
•
2-1-1 Information
& Referral
•
Best-Practice
Training and
Technical Assistance

41.  3 Day Interactive
Workshop
 9th grade health
classes
Available for all of
Ventura County

42.  DAY 1
 Define Authority
 What it means to
treat people
Respectfully
 Where we learn
Violence From
 Gender Roles &
Stereotypes
 DAY 2
 What are the
different types of
abuse
 The Cycle of
Violence
 Signs of a healthy
relationship
 Dating Rights
 DAY 3
 Barriers to Leaving
an abusive
relationship
 Real cases
 What to do if a friend
is being abused, if
you are or if you are
abusing someone

47. Other Interface Services Available
My Body Belongs to Me
 Child Sexual Abuse Prevention
Program
 Presentations to teachers,
parents and the children
 Teaches Kids to say NO, get
away, and tell an adult

48. Other Interface Services Available
Youth Services
 Crisis Intervention
 Case Management
 Family Mediation
 Emancipation
Information
 Life Skills and Youth
Development Activities
 Shelter Services

49. Thank
you!
Tracy Vahle
tvahle@icfs.org
(805)485-6114 ext. 643