See the Triumph
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • See the Triumph Collections
  • Participate in Our Research
  • Volunteer with See the Triumph
  • The Origins of See the Triumph
  • About our Research
  • Terms of Use
  • Resources for more Information
  • See the Triumph Workbooks
  • See the Triumph Healing Arts Workshops
  • See the Triumph Survivor Advocacy Training Program
  • Contact Us

How To Respond if Your Child Is the Victim of Teen Dating Violence

7/31/2018

 
Picture
By Cara Medina, See the Triumph Guest Blogger
 
It’s common for teenagers not to tell their parents that there is physical, sexual, or emotional abuse happening to them. Do you wonder why your teen doesn’t trust you enough to tell you these types of problems? Have you ever thought about how you would respond if your child told you they were being abused by their boyfriend or girlfriend?
 
Adolescents do love and trust their parents, but they may feel ashamed they have been the victim of abuse at the hands of their romantic partner. They also may not realize how serious dating violence can be and the damage it can do to their mental and physical health.
 
Also, teenagers are in a developmental stage of life that can make it difficult for them to disclose abuse. For example, teens often believe they can “handle it” themselves, even though they may need help from their parents. They often overestimate their abilities to manage a complicated situation. Children this age also tend to minimize the potential consequences of risky behaviors. They may not believe that something bad could happen to them.
 
In addition to the shame and developmental factors, they could be worried that their parents might be angry or upset and punish them, even though they’re the victim. Listed below are a few tips that could help parents if they notice any red flags of dating violence.
  • Provide support and comfort rather than judgement of your child (the victim). This will help them seek out your support rather than shut you out.
  • Make sure to tell your child that the abuse is not his/her fault.
  • How you say it may matter more than what you say. Don’t overreact or yell.
  • Listen carefully to your child’s responses to your questions and try not to give them advice unless they ask for it.
  • The age of your teen plays a role in how you might respond: middle school teens may be more receptive to taking your advice than older teens, who may want to make their own decisions. However, they’ll still need your assistance.
  • Don’t do it alone! Find resources through your community’s Family Justice Center or domestic violence shelters and the police department.

​References
  • Black, B., & Preble, K. (2016). Parental responses to youths' reports of teen dating violence: Recommendations from parents and youth. Journal of Adolescence, 51144-155. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.06.008
  • Elias-Lambert, N., Black, B. M., & Chigbu, K. U. (2014). Controlling behaviors in middle school youth’s dating relationships: Reactions and help-seeking behaviors. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 34(7), 841-865. doi:10.1177/0272431613510405
  • Preble, K. M., Black, B. M., & Weisz, A. N. (2018). Teens' and parents' perceived levels of helpfulness: An examination of suggested 'things to say' to youth experiencing Teen Dating Violence. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.01.010
 
Picture
Cara Medina is a graduate of the Department of Counseling and Educational Development at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She earned her M.S. and Ed.S degrees in School Counseling. She has counseled middle school, high school and college students. Cara lives in Greensboro with her husband and five children.


Comments are closed.

    Archives

    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    About Intimate Partner Violence
    About Intimate Partner Violence
    Advocacy
    Ambassadors
    Children
    Churches
    College Campuses
    Cultural Issues
    Domestic Violence Awareness Month
    Financial Recovery
    How To Help A Friend
    Human Rights
    Human-rights
    Immigrants
    International
    Media
    Overcoming Past Abuse
    Overcoming-past-abuse
    Parenting
    Prevention
    Resources For Survivors
    Safe Relationships Following Abuse
    Schools
    Selfcare
    Self-care
    Sexual Assault
    Sexuality
    Social Justice
    Social-justice
    Stigma
    Supporting Survivors
    Survivor Quotes
    Survivor-quotes
    Survivor Stories
    Teen Dating Violence
    Trafficking
    Transformative-approaches

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • See the Triumph Collections
  • Participate in Our Research
  • Volunteer with See the Triumph
  • The Origins of See the Triumph
  • About our Research
  • Terms of Use
  • Resources for more Information
  • See the Triumph Workbooks
  • See the Triumph Healing Arts Workshops
  • See the Triumph Survivor Advocacy Training Program
  • Contact Us