Oregon Teens Encouraged To Learn About Safe Dates

Oregon Teens Encouraged To Learn About Safe Dates

February 11, 2010

by Glenn Vaagen

BEND, OR -- February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and advocacy groups said it’s a problem that can happen at any age. In a recent survey, 6% of Oregon 11th graders said they’d been intentionally hit, slapped or physically hurt by someone they were dating. The national figures are much higher than that. Kerry Naughton with Partnership for Safety and Justice said many people don’t report dating violence because they are either embarrassed or don’t think it’s a crime.

“You know, it’s difficult enough to really get a handle on the prevalence of intimate partner violence in adult relationships. It’s even more difficult when we’re talking about teenagers, who have a lot less experience with healthy relationships, and dating in general.”

In another survey, 81% of parents said dating violence either is not an issue, or they’re not sure if it is, and more than half had not discussed it with their teens. Naughton said often, people make excuses for the erratic behavior of someone they care about, which can lead to an escalating cycle of abuse.

“Dating violence isn’t just a bad mood after a bad day. It’s actually a pattern of behavior that can include physical, sexual, verbal or emotional abuse.”

For links to information for both teens and parents on the signs of abuse, as well as communication techniques, click on the Partnership for Safety and Justice’s Website.

(This story appeared online at http://www.mycentraloregon.com/news/local/news_detail.php?ID=824232)