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Although we typically think of child abuse coming from adults, new research points out that abuse is also all too common coming from teens dating partners.
Of adolescents visiting the emergency department for any reason, one in five girls and one in eight boys reported dating violence in the past year. According to a study published online Monday in Annals of Emergency Medicine, dating violence among adolescents was also strongly associated with alcohol, illicit drug use and depression.
"An enormous number of youth and adolescents have already experienced violence in their dating lives," said lead study author Vijay Singh, MD, MPH, MS of the University of Michigan Injury Center and Department of Emergency Medicine in Ann Arbor, Mich. "Patterns that begin in adolescence can carry over to adulthood. Screening and intervention among youth with a history of dating violence can be critical to reducing future adult intimate partner violence."
Researchers screened 4,089 males and females age 14 to 20 who were seeking care in a suburban emergency department for dating violence within the past year. Nearly three-quarters (72.9 percent) were Caucasian, the majority (86.9 percent) were enrolled in school and just over one-quarter (25.8 percent) received public assistance. Of females, 18.4 percent reported past year dating violence, 10.6 percent reported dating victimization and 14.6 percent reported dating aggression. Of males, 12.5 percent reported past year dating violence, 11.7 percent reported dating victimization and 4.9 percent reported dating aggression.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140702093618.htm
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