The case for preventing teen dating violence
“Teen dating violence? What’s that?” That’s the puzzled response I often receive when I mention “teen dating violence” in conversation. I usually start by explaining that teen dating violence is exactly as it sounds: teenagers using or threatening to use physical, sexual, emotional abuse or abusive behavior to dominate, control or punish a dating partner.
The sad truth is that, even after explaining teen dating violence, many express disbelief that such a thing exists or that it is a problem, and even fewer are aware of how alarmingly prevalent it has become, affecting one in five teens in Wisconsin, and one in three adolescent girls across the United States. Likewise, many are unaware that teen dating violence and domestic violence are both preventable.
Relationship behaviors develop when people first start engaging in relationships as teenagers, so intervening early with healthy relationship habits, communication skills and tools for identifying unhealthy relationship behaviors can have a direct impact on rates of domestic and teen dating violence. It can also minimize long-term consequences for survivors dating violence, who are at increased risk for substance abuse, attempting or considering suicide and engaging in risky sexual behaviors.
As lawmakers, we cannot ignore the harrowing statistics about teen dating violence in our state. We must take steps to stop dating violence before it starts. This session I introduced a bill that presents an important first step in addressing this public health crisis by requiring teen dating violence curricula in schools and requiring students to learn about teen dating violence both in middle school and high school. This is a small step toward ensuring our kids have the lifelong tools and information they need to make healthy relationship decisions.
Domestic violence should transcend partisanship. We simply cannot continue letting our kids become statistics; we must do more to address alarming trends in teen dating violence in Wisconsin.