Dating Violence

Dating Violence: Intimate partner violence that can include physical violence, sexual violence, psychological aggression and/or stalking.

Physical Violence:  One partner hurts or tries to hurt the other partner through physical force (hitting, kicking, etc.)

Sexual Violence: One partner forces or tries to force a partner to take part in a sex act and or sexual touching when the partner does not consent or is unable to consent or refuse. It also includes non-physical sexual behaviors like posting or sharing sexual pictures of a partner without their consent or sexting someone without their consent.

Psychological Aggression: The use of verbal and non-verbal communication with the intent to harm a partner mentally or emotionally and exert control over a partner.

Stalking: A pattern of repeated, unwanted attention and contact by a current or former partner that causes fear or safety concern for an individual victim or someone close to the victim.

Control:  One dating partner makes all the decisions and tells the other what to do, what to wear, or who to spend time with. He or she is unreasonably jealous, and/or tries to isolate the other partner from his or her friends and family. 

Mutual Respect:  Respect means that each person values who the other is and understands the other person’s boundaries. 

Self-Confidence:  When dating partners have confidence in themselves, it can help their relationships with each other.  

• Teen & Young Adult Dating Quiz (Ages 13-21)

  Ask your teen or young adult to take the readiness quiz and discuss your expectations regarding appropriate dating behavior.

• Healthy Relationship Quiz

  Everyone deserves to be in a safe and healthy relationship. The questions in this quiz from Love is Respect.org are a great way to discuss healthy dating with your kids

ACTIVITIES

• Teach The Wheels

  Use the Power & Control Wheel and contrasting Equality Wheel to teach youth about relationship dynamics.

• Watch One Love Videos

  Watch One Love videos with youth to teach the 10 signs of an unhealthy relationship.

• Host a Workshop

  Host a workshop at your school or community center to teach youth about healthy relationships and spotting the warning signs of dating abuse.

LINKS

• Love is Learned

  Take an education series from One Love to teach youth how love is learned.

• Teach Consent

  Teach Consent website includes videos and parent guide teens how to ask, listen and respect.

• Power & Control Wheel

  Teen Power & Control Wheel adopted from the Domestic Abuse Intervention in Duluth, Minnesota

• Equality Wheel

  Teen Equality Wheel adopted from the Domestic Abuse Intervention in Duluth, Minnesota

ORGANIZATIONS

• CDC Dating Matters

  Dating Matters®: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships is a comprehensive teen dating violence prevention model developed by CDC to stop teen dating violence before it starts. 

• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

  The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)'s mission is to lead, mobilize and raise our voices to support efforts that demand a change of conditions that lead to domestic violence such as patriarchy, privilege, racism, sexism, and classism.

READING & RESEARCH

• Families for Safe Dates Manual

  FAMILIES FOR SAFE DATES®A Program for Parents and Other Caregivers to Help Teens Date Safely

Dating Violence: Intimate partner violence that can include physical violence, sexual violence, psychological aggression and/or stalking.

Physical Violence:  One partner hurts or tries to hurt the other partner through physical force (hitting, kicking, etc.)

Sexual Violence: One partner forces or tries to force a partner to take part in a sex act and or sexual touching when the partner does not consent or is unable to consent or refuse. It also includes non-physical sexual behaviors like posting or sharing sexual pictures of a partner without their consent or sexting someone without their consent.

Psychological Aggression: The use of verbal and non-verbal communication with the intent to harm a partner mentally or emotionally and exert control over a partner.

Stalking: A pattern of repeated, unwanted attention and contact by a current or former partner that causes fear or safety concern for an individual victim or someone close to the victim.

Control:  One dating partner makes all the decisions and tells the other what to do, what to wear, or who to spend time with. He or she is unreasonably jealous, and/or tries to isolate the other partner from his or her friends and family. 

Mutual Respect:  Respect means that each person values who the other is and understands the other person’s boundaries. 

Self-Confidence:  When dating partners have confidence in themselves, it can help their relationships with each other.  

• Teen & Young Adult Dating Quiz (Ages 13-21)

  Ask your teen or young adult to take the readiness quiz and discuss your expectations regarding appropriate dating behavior.

• Healthy Relationship Quiz

  Everyone deserves to be in a safe and healthy relationship. The questions in this quiz from Love is Respect.org are a great way to discuss healthy dating with your kids.

ACTIVITIES

• Host a Wheel Discussion

  Use the Power & Control Wheel and contrasting Equality Wheel to generate a group discussion about relationship dynamics.

• Warning Signs

  Learn the warning signs of relationship abuse, types of abuse, and how drugs and alcohol can play a part.

• Become an Ambassador

  That’s Not Cool is an award-winning national public education initiative that partners with young people to help raise awareness and bring educational and organizing tools to communities to address dating violence, unhealthy relationships, and digital abuse. 

LINKS

• National Domestic Violence Hotline

  Free. Confidential. 24/7 Call or chat in English or Spanish.

• How to Support a Friend

  Learn how to support a friend or roommate dealing with dating abuse.

• One Love

  Educating young people about healthy and unhealthy relationships, empowering them to identify and avoid abuse and learn how to love better.

• Learn About Consent

  Learn the ask, listen and respect components of conset communication.

• Power & Control Wheel

  Teen Power & Control Wheel adopted from the Domestic Abuse Intervention in Duluth, Minnesota

• Equality Wheel

  Teen Equality Wheel adopted from the Domestic Abuse Intervention in Duluth, Minnesota

ORGANIZATIONS

• CDC Dating Matters

  Dating Matters®: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships is a comprehensive teen dating violence prevention model developed by CDC to stop teen dating violence before it starts. 

• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

  The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)'s mission is to lead, mobilize and raise our voices to support efforts that demand a change of conditions that lead to domestic violence such as patriarchy, privilege, racism, sexism, and classism.

READING & RESEARCH

• That's Not Cool YouTube Channel

  video collection from That's Not Cool, an initiative that partners with young people to help raise awareness.

• 10 Signs of Healthy & Unhealthy Relationships

  Learn the signs from the One Love website.

• Neela & Chris: Broken Love Comic

  Comic illustration of a broken love story by Ellen Crenshaw and funded by the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund.