Teen dating violence affects millions of young people in this country every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), teen dating violence can include physical violence, sexual violence, psychological aggression, and stalking. This form of intimate partner violence can be perpetrated in person, by technology, or online. The pernicious effects of dating violence can have a lifelong impact on the victim’s health, self-esteem, and ability to form healthy relationships. College administrators and staff have to understand some victims of teen dating violence may bring the trauma of the experience with them to college. Attitudes on appropriate dating and interpersonal relationships are formed early. A 2009 study of sixth graders found that 25 percent believed it was acceptable for a boyfriend to hit his girlfriend. This sobering statistic suggests we must change the narrative and correct this dangerous and destructive way of thinking before young people become hard-wired to believe teen dating violence is acceptable. There are countless studies on the adolescent brain and how young people process information and social dynamics. According to Liz Claiborne, Inc.’s College Dating Violence and Abuse Poll (2011), 70 percent of respondents who experienced teen dating violence viewed their relationships as healthy when […]
