Children's Safety Network

CSN Discuss Bulletin

Teen Dating Violence

August 2004

This bulletin comes to you from the Children's Safety Network through the CSNDISCUSS list, an electronic forum for the discussion of child and adolescent injury and violence prevention and related issues.

AVAILABILITY

Copies of many items can be delivered to state Maternal and Child Health and state public health staff upon request. Articles available by e-mail are so indicated. Some other articles can be faxed or mailed. To request an article or other publication, e-mail jhudson@edc.org with the item name, delivery preference (e-mail, fax number, or mailing address). This service is restricted to state Maternal and Child Health and state public health staff. Restricted time and resources forbids us from delivering articles to others. URLs of publications that can be downloaded from the web are included in the bibliographic information.

NEWS AND DEVELOPMENTS

2004 National Conference on Health Care and Domestic Violence: Health Consequences Over the Lifespan

This conference provides valuable professional education and networking regarding the latest research and innovative health care prevention and clinical responses to domestic violence for all health care professionals. This event is sponsored by the Family Violence Prevention fund and will be held October 21-23, 2004 in Boston, Massachusetts. Information is available at endabuse.org/health/conference.
Family Violence and Sexual Assault Institute 9th International Conference on Family Violence: Dynamics of Change

This interdisciplinary conference will focus on all aspects of family violence prevention, intervention, and research as well as child maltreatment, teen abuse, youth violence, judicial issues, sexual assault, law enforcement, disabilities, treatment of offenders, intimate partner violence, and elder abuse. This event will be held in San Diego, California from September 19-22, 2004. Information is available at www.fvsai.org.

ARTICLES AND REPORTS

Silverman JG, Raj A, Clements K.
Dating violence and associated sexual risk and pregnancy among adolescent girls in the United States. Pediatrics. 2004 August;114(2):e220-5.

This article reports on a study that assessed sexual experience, sexual risks and physical violence among a national sample of high school girls. It found that girls who were sexually experienced were much more likely to have endured physical violence at the hands of a dating partner than girls without sexual experience. They also found that girls who experience dating violence are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors than girls who have not experienced dating violence. The authors call for pregnancy prevention and sexuality education programs to include a dating violence prevention component.

The article is available online at: pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/114/2/e154.
Foshee VA, Bauman KE, Ennett ST, Linder GF, Benefield T, Suchindran C.
Assessing the long-term effects of the Safe Dates program and a booster in preventing and reducing adolescent dating violence victimization and perpetration.
American Journal of Public Health. 2004 April;94(4):619-624.

This study found that Safe Dates, a school-based dating violence prevention and reduction program, resulted in a long-term, positive effect. Four years after the intervention, those who received the Safe Dates intervention in school reported less dating violence perpetration and less victimization than those who did not receive the intervention. However, the Safe Dates booster component did not enhance the program’s effects and may have increased the behaviors the program was trying to prevent. The authors conclude that Safe Dates appears to have the potential for long-term dating violence prevention, but that the booster component should not be used.
Availability: e-mail or hard copy
Graffunder CM, Noonan RK, Cox P, Wheaton J.
Through a public health lens. Preventing violence against women: An update from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Journal of Women’s Health. 2004 Jan-Feb;13(1):5-14.

This article outlines the public health approach to preventing violence against women adopted by the Division of Violence Prevention at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. The article also provides examples of the public health approach to preventing violence against women and makes recommendations for future Division of Violence Prevention activities in this area.

Availability: e-mail or hard copy
Halpern CT, Young ML, Waller MW, Martin SL, Kupper LL.
Prevalence of partner violence in same-sex romantic and sexual relationships in a national sample of adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2004 Aug;35(2):124-31.

This study assessed the prevalence of dating violence among a national sample of teens with same sex relationship preferences. The study found that adolescent girls engaging in same-sex relationships experienced levels of victimization similar to those of girls in opposite-sex relationships. Adolescent boys in same-sex relationships reported less victimization than either girls in this study or adolescent boys in opposite-sex relationships.

Availability: e-mail or hard copy
Sanderson M, Coker AL, Roberts RE, Tortolero SR, Reininger BM.
Acculturation, ethnic identity, and dating violence among Latino ninth-grade students.
Preventive Medicine 2004Aug;39(2):373-383.

This assessed the association between acculturation and physical dating violence victimization among 9th grade students in a primarily Latino high school population. It found that, among female students, increased acculturation was associated with increased risk of dating violence victimization. The association between acculturation and dating violence victimization was not significant for male students. The authors provide explanations for these results and describe the public health implications.

Availability: e-mail or hard copy
Forcier M, Patel R, Kahn J. Pediatric residents’ attitudes and practices regarding adolescent dating violence. Ambulatory Pediatrics 2003 Nov-Dec; 3(6):317-323.

This study assessed pediatric residents’ knowledge, attitudes, screening behaviors and treatment strategies for adolescents experiencing dating violence. Findings suggest that female residents, residents who saw more adolescents in their practice, and those who had personally experienced abuse were more likely to inquire about dating violence among their patients than other residents. Residents were also more likely to address dating violence if their patient was female and/or suffering physical rather than psychological or emotional abuse. Although almost all study participants believed it was their role to discuss dating violence, few believed they had been adequately trained to do so.

Availability: hard copy only
Teen Dating Violence: Facing the Epidemic
National Center for Victims of Crime. 2004

This report summarizes dating violence among teens, including its extent, causes and consequences, the problem of personal and community denial of this problem, and effective strategies to help prevent teen dating violence.

The report is available online at: www.ncvc.org/.
Teen Dating Violence: Information and Resources
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (2004)

This packet includes an overview of the issue of teen dating violence and its prevention, including: public policy, the health concerns of survivors, the challenges of providing services to teens, and prevention strategies. The packet also includes statistics on teen dating violence, a comprehensive resource list, and information on several teen dating violence prevention programs.

This resource packet is available online at: www.vawnet.org/NRCDVPublications/TAPE/Packets/NRC_TDV.php

Hard copies can be ordered at 1-800-537-2238

STATE ACTIVITIES

In early August, 2004 this question was posted on the CSN listserv: “The Children's Safety Network is interested in learning more about state-level teen dating violence prevention programs. If your state is working to address this topic, particularly your state health department, please respond to Erin Lyons at elyons@edc.org.”

Five states responded with information about their programs. For more information about the projects and activities listed below, please contact Erin Lyons at (202) 572-3732 or elyons@edc.org.

Illinois
The Illinois Teen Dating Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Stakeholders (Stakeholders), a coalition of prevention specialists, practitioners, and policy specialists in Illinois, is working to promote comprehensive and coordinated prevention, intervention and response systems to the problems of teen dating violence and date rape at the state and local levels in Illinois. This group works closely with the Illinois Department of Human Services Domestic Violence Advisory Council. The Stakeholders conducted the first statewide evaluation of teen dating violence and sexual assault prevention strategies
Montana
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services is using funding from the Rape Prevention and Education program (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control) and the Preventive Health Services Block Grant (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to implement programs and services that primarily address sexual assault but may include teen dating violence prevention and healthy relationship education.
New Hampshire
In 2002, New Hampshire launched a campaign to prevent teen dating violence. Initially funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the New Hampshire Governor’s Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence, in partnership with the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, developed and produced three TV public service announcements, three radio spots, posters, pamphlets, and a teen-oriented website (www.reachoutnh.com). The campaign also developed an educator’s guide, which was distributed to school guidance counselors statewide and is currently being distributed to school nurses.
Virginia
In April 2004, a new position was created in the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to address sexual assault and domestic violence, with a special focus on teen dating violence. In addition to overseeing teen dating violence prevention mini-grants awarded to local programs, this staff person is actively involved with the Virginia Teen Dating Violence Prevention Alliance, which includes representatives from the VDH as well as local sexual assault and domestic violence agencies. The Alliance is currently updating a program/activity guide for people who facilitate school and community-based trainings on sexual assault and domestic violence and helping to organize a teen-led conference in Summer, 2005, which will focus on building healthy relationships.
Washington
The Washington State Department of Health, Office of Maternal and Child Health, is taking a leadership role in convening a coalition of state agencies and local organizations to address the issue of dating violence among young people, specifically those ages 11 – 14. This coalition will work to better coordinate state and local efforts to promote healthy relationships among teens. The coalition is also working to build state and local capacity to address the issue of teen dating violence.