Protecting Teens From Dating Violence

For millions of teenage girls, the first high school boyfriend is a rite of passage. What most don't realize is that the relationship can spiral into something they never considered -- violence.

More schools opt to teach the warning signs of physical abuse in relationships.
But when a group of teenagers from South Kingstown, R.I., was recently asked how many knew someone who was a victim of dating violence, each one of them raised a hand.
"We all see it," said Ellen Thomas, a 16-year-old from South Kingston. "If not day to day, at least once a week or something in the hallway at school."
Indeed, one in 10 high school girls report being abused by a boyfriend, according to the Department of Justice. And high school girls are exposed to three times more abuse in relationships than adult women.

"I think a lot of parents don't realize how prevalent this actually is in the teenagers' lives," South Kingstown High School health teacher Karen Murphy said. "That this is something that goes on every single day."
Teenagers can sometimes have a harder time controlling their emotions than adults, explained Dr. Lea De Francisci Lis, a child and adolescent psychiatrist affiliated with New York University's Child Studies Center.

"Teenagers are more prone to violence because of their changing hormones and because their brains are still developing," she said. "This makes them more susceptible to mood swings and anger."