1 in 3 youth suffer dating violence; parents need to talk about it
Global News
Like other teen health concerns, researchers working to promote healthy relationships say parents must start talking about dating violence
Parents across the country talk to their teens about alcohol, drugs and smoking — but another health concern should be added to the list: dating violence.
“It’s as common as substance use and we know parents talk about that,” said Deinera Exner-Cortens, an assistant professor at the University of Calgary and scientific co-director of PREVNet, a network of Canadian researchers working to promote healthy relationships and eliminate violence.
“I think a lot of people aren’t aware it’s happening, don’t know how common it is, don’t know the impacts it can have.
According to data Exner-Cortens and other researchers collected from over 3,000 young Canadians, one in three youth experience dating violence.
The survey was comprised from information from the 2017/18 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study.
The statistics showed in the past year, 12 per cent of youth were physically hurt on purpose by someone they were dating.
Another 28 per cent reported emotional abuse and 18 per cent said a dating partner used social media to hurt, embarrass or monitor them.
That makes it more difficult for parents and caregivers to monitor relationships and highlights the need to have dating violence conversations with our children, added Exner-Cortens.