What is Teen Dating Violence?

Dating Violence is more than just arguing or fighting. It is a pattern of controlling behaviors that one partner uses to get power over the other, including:

• Physical violence or threats of physical violence

• Emotional or mental abuse such as playing mind games, making you feel crazy, constant put down or constant criticizing

• Sexual abuse, including making you do things you don’t want to do, refusing to have safe sex, or making you feel bad about yourself sexually

So you may experience dating violence even if you are not being physically abused. It can occur in both casual dating situations and serious, long-term relationships.

Teen Dating Violence and Domestic Violence

Teen dating violence and adult domestic violence are very similar:
 

• Both teen dating violence and adult domestic violence affect people from all socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and religious groups.

• Both occur in heterosexual, gay and lesbian relationships

• Both show patterns of repeated violence which escalates over time

• Both display violent abusive behavior followed by apologies and promises to change and that it will never happen again

Both show increased danger for the victims when they are trying to terminate the abusive relationship.