Do you have a teen who is dating or showing an interest in dating? You may want to know the warning signs for teen dating violence. The signs for teen dating violence are similar to bullying and can happen both online and in-person.
The bullying behavior in teen dating violence is often about controlling the partner and the relationship. Similar to bullying; teen dating violence may include name-calling, making a partner feel bad about themselves, humiliation, minimizing, and blaming the other person.
Not all teen dating violence is physical. It can be verbal and some of it occurs online. Cyberdating violence may have similar warning signs as cyberbullying, and studies show that in Utah in 2017 “more than one in four (26.5%) students were verbally or emotionally harmed by someone they were dating or going out with one or more times during the past 12 months (33.2% of females and 19.7% of males).”
Teens who are experiencing cyber dating violence may do things like hiding their screens. You may also notice them having emotional responses to what’s happening on their device. Just like cyberbullying, cyber dating violence can include threatening text messages, writing mean things about them on their profile page; posting embarrassing photos online, and spreading rumors via digital apps and social media.
It is important to be aware of the warning signs of bullying and teen dating violence so that you can address it and stop it as quickly as possible. Utah.gov has a list of warning signs to watch for and resources if you suspect it is happening to your child. You can also find great information about bullying at StopBullying.gov