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Domestic and relationship violence is a huge problem worldwide. In some countries, women still do not have equal rights, needing their husbands permission to leave the home, to get a passport, to get a divorce and even to drive.
Abuse (both physical and mental) is not often reported because it's not considered abuse -- merely control of the female population. This abuse isn't limited to faroff places or adult women -- teenage girls also suffer from the same kind of treatment.
Medical News Today reported on a new study about teen abuse published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence. The study found that teens who were in abusive relationships were less likely to be educated and had less financial stability later on in life.
Adrienne Adams, lead researcher on the study and Michigan State University assistant professor of psychology, wants to see more advocacy as a result of her findings, as well as promoting education among these women. This is something that she believes will vastly improve their chances at a better quality of life.
A former domestic violence worker, she saw how badly the abuse affected women and their ability to secure jobs and homes. For this study, Adams analyzed the financial and educational status of 500 abused women (average age was 32) who were single mothers and found they earned less than $7000 per year.
Those who had been in abusive relationships as teens were less likely to be educated and earned nearly $1000 less per year than their educated counterparts for every year of extra education she had.
Teens are involved in abusive "romantic" relationships to a troublesome degree. A website that promotes awareness and action against teen violence, teendvmonth.org (named due to February being Teenage Domestic Violence Awareness Month) states that one in three teens in relationships will face physical, emotional, or technological abuse.
Through their research, they also found that:
•Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year.
•One in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.
•One-quarter of high school girls have been victims of physical or sexual abuse or date rape.
http://www.teendvmonth.org/research
Getting help for these young women (and men - - it's very important to note that young and adult men are also abused by women and same-sex partners) at an early age is key to promoting independence and education.
This can enable these young people to leave abusive partners and not feel they must stay because they have nothing to fall back on. Parents need to talk to their sons and daughters about the dangers of abuse and how lasting the effects can be.
Sources:
Medical News Today. Women's Health/Gynecology. "Young women who experience dating violence face economic barriers." Web. Retrieved August 30th, 2013.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/265354.php
Teen Domestic Violence Month.org. Research. Web. Retrieved August 30th, 2013.
http://www.teendvmonth.org/research
Reviewed August 30, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith
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