SADD on Abuse

Photo Credit: creativecommons.org

November 11, 2009

Gianna Maietta  

Filed under Features

Domestic violence should not happen to anybody. Ever. But it does and, when it does, there are ways to prevent it and help. During SADD Week in the last week of October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, club leaders and volunteers of the club informed our Pres community of the dangers, statistics, and even some ways to help identify and solve the problem if needed. Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) is a club that wants to offer students the best prevention tools possible to deal with issues such as domestic violence. Along with these problems, SADD focused on domestic violence and how it affects young women in our own community. Maybe you have lived with abuse, maybe it happened just once, maybe you live next to someone who is being abused right now. Whoever you are, there can be ways to help if you know the facts.

The U. S. Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) defines domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. The definition from Creative Communication adds that domestic violence “can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender,” and that it can take many forms, including physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse. The small things we do not notice such as name-calling and simple putdowns can be part of any relationship, even in high school romances.

Recently, a sponsored guest speaker from Next Door Solutions came to Pres and talked about how there are many forms of abuse that can lead to a constant violent problem. She talked about violence in families, and the different types of violence such as physical abuse, mental abuse, and forms of name-calling. The speaker also explained how there are other forms of abuse such as constant texting, calling, and keeping close tabs on the partner.

According to the U.S Centers of Prevention, one in ten teen girls admits to having experienced physical violence in a dating relationship in the past year. The violence can take many forms and can happen all the time or once in a while. An important step to help yourself or someone you know in preventing or stopping violence is recognizing the warning signs. Violence can include sexual abuse, stalking, and physical assault such as hitting, pushing, and shoving. Emotional and psychological abuse are not considered criminal behaviors, but they are forms of abuse and can lead to criminal violence.

Although both men and women can be abused, most victims are women, which is why Pres should be informed on this topic. Teenagers in an abusive relationship may not realize the abuse that is being hidden because teens may be inexperienced in relationships, have romantic views of love, or always strive to have independence from parents.

Teens in homes where there is domestic violence between their parents are more likely to be abused and neglected. Most teenagers in these homes know about the violence but, even, if a teen is not physically harmed, they may have emotional and behavior problems. Teenagers who are being faced with the dating world for the first time can formulate wrong ideas about relationships because some may not have the best models on which to base a healthy relationship. They have probably witnessed the cycle of violence with the abuse, apologies from the abuser, and then the increase in tensions building which creates more abuse. Unfortunately, some teenagers may be faced with a higher risk of being victims of domestic violence, and they may end up in violent relationships as adults, either as victims or abusers.

Teen domestic violence is happening everywhere to a startling number of teens, and it is important for our Pres community to know about it. Knowing the signs that your partner is an abuser, what the cycle of abuse in a relationship looks like, and what to look for if you think your teen is being abused is crucial in the world today. If girls at Presentation know the facts, we can help to stop this epidemic of abuse in teen relationships.

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