Dating Violence Among Adolescents

There's no way to tell whether or not your relationship with one person will turn violent until it's too late and it has already happened.

When you hear of violence happening within a relationship, you typically think of adults. Dating violence among adolescents is not something that typically comes to mind.

Not a lot of research has been gathered on adolescents, dating and violence because of this assumption. Previous research has focused on young adults from age 18 to their mid-20s.

However, a recent Annals of Emergency Medicine study says one in five girls and one in eight boys reported dating violence in the past year.

The study, conducted by the University of Michigan Emergency Department, surveyed more than 4,000 adolescent patients between 14-20 seeking emergency care. The results indicated that dating violence is very prevalent within this age group.

The study also found that violence within relationships affects both males and females, with victims and aggressors engaging in violent acts such as punching, slapping, pulling hair, throwing things and shoving.

This research is helping physicians to better understand what to look for in adolescents and also identifying questions to ask in the ER (or elsewhere) to discover if there are patterns of violence within adolescent relationships.

As a parent, physician or friend, are there signs you can look for to determine if someone you know is in a violent relationship?

Dr. Vijay Singh shares why violence in any relationship is unacceptable, red flags to look for when treating an adolescent and why this study is important for physicians and adolescents alike.