Obsessive Teenage Love: The Precursor to Domestic Violence

In a study of eighth and ninth graders, 25 percent reported being victims of dating violence and 8 percent even disclosed sexual abuse.3 In another survey of high school students, 17.8 percent reported being forced to engage in sexual activity against their will.4 Among female students between 15 and 20 years old who reported dating violence, 24 percent reported extreme violence including rape and the use of weapons.5 Dating abuse can include physical, verbal, emotional, or sexual abuse or any combination thereof.6 Some abusive boyfriends continuously demean their girlfriends, trying to break down their self-esteem. The responsibility lies with our courts, communities, schools, and parents organizations to provide the tools and leadership to give teen dating violence victims and their abusers a way to seek help and end the teen dating violence cycle.