Strickland: Working to curb teen dating violence

Working to curb teen dating violence
by Michael Strickland
From the February 18, 2007 Idaho State Journal

Michael Strickland is a writer and teacher from Pocatello.

We are having big problems here in Bannock County.

Over the last four years, my work as an educator has brought me close to many Idaho State University students and several high school students around Pocatello who have fallen into the trap of sexual violence.

Now here's the good news. Bannock County, Idaho, has a Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Task Force.

Special thanks are due to Judge Robert Naftz, Kim Talbot of Idaho State University's Project Hope Advocacy Program, Jeff Young from the Bannock County Sheriff's Department, Cassia Morton from the Bannock County Courthouse, Victim/Witness Coordinator Vicki Rice, Sarah Leeds and Dawn Smith from Family Services Alliance, and numerous others who have logged countless hours to address the public health problem of violence within relationships.

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. In order to raise awareness, here are some key facts:

1) A person under the age of 18 cannot consent to sex in Idaho.
2) Sex with a minor by an adult is an act of violence.
3) One recent national survey found that 1 in 11 high school students said they had been hit, slapped or physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend in the past year. One in 11 students also reported that they had been forced to have sexual intercourse when they did not want to.
4) Alcohol and/or drugs are a factor in most sexual violence cases.

According to recent statistics, it is extremely likely that you or someone you know has experienced violence in a dating relationship. Dating violence can take many forms, including psychological and emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. It can occur in the context of casual dating or serious longterm relationships.

We are having big problems here in Bannock County.

Pocatello area teens need to know that if a boyfriend or girlfriend humiliates, insults or swears at them, they are experiencing psychological and emotional abuse. This is also true when one partner attempts to control a boyfriend or girlfriend’s activities, tries to destroy his or her self-
confidence and self-esteem, or isolates the person from other friends and family.

Threats of violence are also abusive and should always be taken seriously.

Physical abuse includes: hitting, slapping, punching, shoving, kicking, biting and hair-pulling. It also includes the use of a weapon against a boyfriend or girlfriend.

According to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, teenage girls suffer more, emotionally and physically, from relationship violence. They are much more likely than teenage boys to have serious injuries and to report being terrified.

In contrast, male victims seldom seem to fear violence by their dates or girlfriends, often saying that the attacks did not hurt and that they found the violence amusing.

Sexual abuse occurs when there is any unwanted sexual activity. To coerce or pressure someone to engage in sexual activity or try to engage in sexual activity with someone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, is also considered sexual abuse.

Tell your friends, family and neighbors to work toward educating teens about dating violence. If you are a teen, counsel peers, staff a hotline, or speak to classes about the signs of an abusive relationship and where to find help.

Encourage your church or school to develop programs to help teens avoid dating violence.

Are you a teen victim? Get help. These types of relationships can affect the rest of your life.

This national problem cuts across all ethnic, racial, religious and economic lines. The National Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a fact sheet on intimate partner violence that provides an overview of the problem of intimate partner violence and its health effects.

It provides information about factors that put victims and offenders at risk for violence and describes prevention and intervention strategies. The sheet can be found at:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/ipvfacts.htm.

To help curb the tide of teen dating violence, members of the Bannock County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Task Force are visiting several schools this month and running interactive workshops with the students.

We are having big problems here in Bannock County.

However, all that it takes for violence to spread is for good people to sit by and do nothing. Our glass is more than half full. Idaho has no shortage of wonderful, trustworthy, caring people. We can work together and solve the problems of sexual assault and domestic violence in our community.