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Smart Living: Growing trends of teen dating violence

Smart Living: Growing trends of teen dating violence
2 months 1 week 1 day ago Thursday, March 06 2025 Mar 6, 2025 March 06, 2025 12:17 PM March 06, 2025 in News

All new data shows up to 19 percent of teens experience some sort of dating violence.

According to the CDC, one in 12 teens will be physically or sexually abused by their partner.

"We're looking at not just high schoolers, but we're looking at middle schoolers and also some of those more advanced elementary school," Harbor House CEO Michelle Sperzel said.

Sperzel teaches young people to know the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships.

"The healthy ones really outline it from that lesson, it's happy, it's respectful, it's kind, it's listening, and then the unhealthy ones are gaslighting being angry, lying, cheating," Sperzel said.

The abuse is not always physical. It could be the partner controlling how you dress, making you check in constantly, and unfounded cheating accusations.

"It might be that they are really tied into social media in an unhealthy way because the person who is abusing them is asking them or requiring them to be on there," Sperzel said.

Sperzel warns the most dangerous time for a teen is after the relationship ends.

Help is available. If you or someone you know is a victim, call the national teen dating abuse helpline at 1-866-331-9474.

Before the age of 15, more boys are victims of teen dating violence, but after 15 it's more girls.

That's why it's important that all children learn what a healthy relationship looks like at a young age. The impact of teen dating violence can last a lifetime.

Studies show that people who experience dating violence between ages 14 and 17 have worse mental health as adults and were more likely to self-harm.

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