Teen Dating Violence And Social Media Analysis

Online predators and Stalkers can easily gain access to social media users’ personal information by either requesting to be a user’s friend or simply finding a way around the user's privacy settings. According to June Ahn, chat rooms are public and is an unmonitored space where online predators are more likely to be. “Adolescents are less likely to be targeted for unwanted sexual solicitation in social media than chat rooms.”(Ahn, June) I have found that, 412 adolescents were more likely to talk with strangers. This is hazardous for young children and adolescents because their lack of life experience leads them to blindly accept all friend request. The effort to seem popular by having many friends online can damage credibility and truth worthiness.

Humiliation, jealousy, accusations, threats, possessiveness, overdependence and withdrawal of attention are other signs of this severity of violence (“The Facts about Teen Dating Violence”). “Of tweens (age 11-14) who have been in a dating relationship, 62% say they know peers who have been verbally abused by a dating partner” (Liz Claiborne, Inc/Teen Research Unlimited, 2007). Frequently, verbal and emotional abuse contains the use of technology. People abuse the use of the internet, computer, cell phones, email, etc. is all agencies of abuse. “Their battleground becomes the telephone and social media--where put-downs, name calling and jealousy manifest in angry phone calls and Facebook posts” (Duret). Some do not fully realize the effect words can have on a person. Words hurt. Next, sexual violence in teen relationships is the highest on the list. Dangers may include non-consented touching and kissing, forced sex, or pornography. As stated on the website loveisrespect.org, “girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experiences the highest rate of intimate partner violence—almost triple the national average” (Dating Abuse Statistics). These issues can lead to unplanned pregnancy, attempted suicide and serious emotional instability. Staying alert to these issues not only is important to one’s safety, but can potentially be helpful to a future acquaintance or relationship.

Teen Dating Violence (TDV) is described as the physical, emotional, or sexual abuse that occurs within a relationship while dating. TDV can occur in person, or electronically by a current or former partner (CDC, 2014). Many adolescents and adults are unaware of the prevalence of TDV but a recent national study revealed that nearly 10% of adolescents have reported being hit, slapped, or intentionally physically hurt by someone they had claimed to be dating (CDC, 2014). About 20% of adult women who reported experiencing some form of intimate partner violence (IPV) also reported experiencing TDV between the ages of 11-17 (CDC, 2014). Also, black students experience TDV (14%) at a significantly higher rate than

Research on adolescent dating violence suggested that females were more likely than males to be victimizes by their dating partners (Roscoe & Kelsey, 1986). However currently some studies have reported similar dating violence rates for men and women (Arriaga & Foshee, 2004). Some studies have reported similar dating violence victimization rates for males and females (Arriaga & Foshee, 2004). According to a recent study of approximately 2,500 students attending two lU.S. universities, 24% of males showed physical violence against a partner, 32% of females showed physical violence against a partner, 57% of females committed psychological abuse against a partner, and 50% of male respondents committed psychological abuse against a partner (Gover,

“Nearly 1.5 million high school students across the country experience physical violence at the hands of a dating partner each year” (Duret). Teenage dating violence is on the rise. Due to recent advances in technology, abuse issues are more prevalent; technology allows room for students to lash out over text messaging and through social media. However, teen violence can be prevented. The government has established laws and campaigns to educate and protect victims. Teenagers go through many changes during their adolescent years and peer influence can make it hard to decipher between right and wrong. However, by high school, teenagers should be able to determine and understand healthy relationships; unfortunately, teenage dating violence statistics continue to rise at alarming rates.

Dating violence is a pattern of abusive behaviours by one partner in the relationship. Abuse is usually not a one time occurance, abusers normally abuse their partner several times to the point where they cannot take it anymore. According to break the cycle ages sixteen to twenty four are at the highest risk for dating abuse. There are four types of abusers, the reactors, the entitled, neurologically or physically ill, and the ones who are overwhelmed by events. These are all very different types of abusers in a relationship and they vary depending on the individual. Firstly the reactors feel in control of each situation, they participate in the cycle of violence through the act of violence. Secondly the entitled, an entitled person believes

Checking the news, keeping up with friends, and sharing quips of witty posts of a hundred and forty characters or less are the normal things for anybody to do while using a social media network. With ages ranging from the very young to the old, therein lies an assimilation of individuals whose information, location, and almost anything else are within their profile, just far enough away to keep the average stalker at bay, but close enough for a person with immoral intents to reach out and simply snatch. As the article, “Social Networking” observes, “…as Internet socializing grows, so do fears that the practice exposes the vulnerable – especially young people – to sexual predators” (627). Sexual predators are not the only people prowling around the Internet, for the range of criminals run the gamut, from potential murderers to vicious kidnappers, with their greatest weapon being something nearly everyone has access to in this modern era. Thus, through social media platforms, alone, these websites contain the information of millions upon millions of unique individuals, where, sometimes, it is as simple as scrolling down to select someone to hack into next. Often enough, these Internet forums are places where even a high school kid can do some damage, but not in the form of using personal information for selfish

Dating violence takes place in person or electronically. Social media has increased the opportunity for the abuser to inflict verbal and emotional abuse on the teen where they should be safest, their own home. Recognizing changes, isolation from friends and family, emotional changes, spiraling from upbeat to sadness, constant communication by phone or text regarding the teen’s activities or whereabouts, sudden changes in appearance or quickly becoming defensive over the boy/girlfriend can be warning signs. Symptoms of depression, anxiety may manifest. The teen may suddenly start smoking, drinking, and experimenting with drugs. Antisocial behavior may be observed and thoughts of suicide can manifest through art, selective music playlist or in journaling.

As a school counselor, the school social worker (SSW) can assist students identified as victims or perpetrators of teen dating violence by practicing the ethical duty of reporting all incidents to school police and/or local authorities. Often times, students do not understand the importance of reporting teen dating violence to authorities due to fear from the legal system or the possibility of their parent/guardian finding out or not understanding their experience. As a counselor, the SSW can assist students in bridging communication barriers about dating violence with their parents, assist students in understanding the prevalence of teen dating violence, and assist students in understanding why an intervention is needed to prevent dating

Prevention is essential in addressing teen dating violence. Teen dating violence has significant long-term and short-term effects on a teenager’s physical and mental health (Korchmaros et al., 2013). Teenagers are in a vulnerable time in their lives as their experiences set behavior patterns that they will carry with them as they transition into young adulthood. The integration of technology in the lives of teenagers has provided new tools for perpetrators to abuse their partner. Yet, teenagers are unable to identify these key factors because adults and parents minimize the impact a dating relationship can have at a young age. Technology is a danger and a threat to future adult relationships these teenagers will have because of the minimization

In 2013, the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey reported that 21% of female and 10% of male high school students experienced some form of physical and/or sexual dating violence. It was also reported that youth who are victims of dating violence in high school are at greater risk of victimization during college (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016).

The enablement technology provides is one of the reasons cyberbullying is so prevalent amongst young teens. Thanks to the advent of technology, bullying has taken on many new forms. Some of which now follow teens from schools to their homes. And, the places for these new types of bullying to occur is on social networks. In the mid 2000s, there was an increase in middle schoolers bullying each other on the social media platform Myspace. One of the most famous cases for the social network occurred in October 2006. Megan Meier, a 13 year-old, killed herself on October 17, 2006 after she received messages from an online account “Josh Evans.” The Evans account began to harass her and other online users joined in on the abuse. After her death, it

A detailed review of literature is provided which discusses various studies and theories in an attempt to help to guide this particular study. Past studies mainly focus on statistics gathered in regards to the prevalence of sexting as well as the legal sanctions associated with related themes (Reyns et al., 2013, p. 4). Social consequences in regards to victimization online and cyberbullying are measured throughout this study.

There are many things that teenagers end up going through, some good and some bad. One thing that some teenager unfortunately go through is dating violence. Dating violence is physical, emotional, psychologic, or sexual violence in a dating relationship. Throughout my paper I discuss some of the different reasons people may engage in dating violence, such as the media and bullying. I also discuss cyber dating violence and the effects it has on teenagers. You will be able to see the cause and effect situations that teen dating violence tends to have.

Violence amongst teens in relationships is often talked about as being something that is far too common in this day and age. However, when it comes to identifying the factors of where the dating violence stems from, I don’t usually see a lot being talked about. For example, where the dating violence is taking place, which neighborhoods dating violence is most commonly happening in. Additionally, the overall question is whether or not the environment the teenagers live in, is putting them at a higher risk of getting into a relationship in which they fall victim or are the perpetrator of dating violence.