Rights & Responsibilities when

datingWhat do you think your rights

are?What responsibilities do you

have?

Activity

• Think about a romantic relationship that you are in, were in, or a friend is in and list all of the following that apply:– One partner checks up on the other by asking who

they are with, calling frequently, stopping by work, etc.

– One partner puts the other down by name calling or public humiliation

– One tries to control the other (telling them who they can hang out with, who they can see, making them stay home, etc.)

– One says jealousy is a sign of love – One partner blames the other one for mostly

everything

• Total up number statements that apply to the relationship you were looking at.– 1 low– 2 moderate– 3 high

Teen Dating & Violence

I. Teen dating violence often is hidden because teenagers typically:

• are inexperienced with dating relationships.

• are pressured by peers to act violently.

• want independence from parents. • have "romantic" views of love.

StatisticsYou don’t need to write these

down!

About one in three high school students have

been or will be involved in an abusive relationship

Forty percent of teenage girls ages 14 to 17 say

they know someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend

In one study, from 30 to 50 percent of female high school

students reported having already experienced teen

dating violence

Teen dating violence most often takes

place in the home of one of the partners

In 1995, 7 percent of all murder victims

were young women who were killed by their boyfriends

One in five or 20 percent of dating

couples report some type of violence in their relationship

One of five college females will

experience some form of dating

violence

A survey of 500 young women, ages 15 to 24, found

that 60 percent were currently involved in an ongoing

abusive relationship and all participants had experienced

violence in a dating relationship

One study found that 38 percent of date rape victims were

young women from 14 to 17 years of age

A survey of adolescent and college students revealed that date

rape accounted for 67 percent of sexual

assaults

More than half young women raped (68 percent) knew their rapist either as

a boyfriend, friend or casual acquaintance

Six out of 10 rapes of young women occur in their own home or a friend or relative's

home, not in a dark alley

More than 4 in every 10 incidents of

domestic violence involves non-married

persons

II. Common clues that indicate a teenager may be experiencing dating

violence: • Physical signs of

injury • Truancy, dropping

out of school • Failing grades • Indecision • Changes in mood

or personality

• Use of drugs/alcohol

• Pregnancy • Emotional outburst • Isolation

III. Teen Dating Safety:

• Consider double dating early on• know exact plans for evening & share

w/ friends• decreased ability to react under the

influence of alcohol or drugs • Be assertive• Trust your instincts

Warm up

• Last time I had you write about your best and worst dating moments.

• Look at that journal. Expand on it or complete it. Be ready to share it with the class.

IV. The Cycle of Violence (see diagram)

• Explains the pattern of violence in relationships

• Typically repeats itself until the victim can escape

• The more the cycle repeats the more difficult it is for the victim to escape

• Repetition brings increased violence

FAQs

• What kind of abuse occurs in relationships?• What are some early warning signs that my

partner might abuse me?• I get jealous sometimes. Does that mean I'm

an abuser or potential abuser?• I thought my partner must really love me

when my partner gave me a cell phone. Now my partner wants to know where I am all the time. Is this normal?

FAQs• My partner doesn't get mad very often, but

when s/he does get mad it scares me. How can I tell if this is a warning sign of abuse?

• I've tried several times to end my relationship, but my partner says life would not be worth living without me. I love my partner and don't want to hurt my partner. What should I do?

• I have a friend who I think is in an abusive relationship. I want to help my friend. Is there anything I can do?