Introduction: Please read. The information could help save a life.
A/N: In my previous poem “A New Garden,” I listed the ABC’s one should watch out for when entering Adolescence (the Forest of the Beast). The letter “A” stood for “Abuse.” In the poem that follows, “Love’s Me, Love’s Me Not,” I try to raise awareness for the issue of Abusive Relationships. During my years as a counselor, I have realized there is a need to educate young people (young women and young men) about what is acceptable and not acceptable in a dating relationship.
Here are some statistics that highlight the necessity of educating and raising awareness on this issue:
These statistics are taken from the following excellent website, which I highly recommend for further information:
http://www.teensagainstabuse.org/index.php?q=home
1 in 3 teenagers report knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked or physically hurt by their partner. (Liz Claiborne Inc. study conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited; February 2005.)
1 in 4 teenage girls who have been in relationships reveal they have been pressured to perform oral sex or engage in intercourse. (Liz Claiborne Inc. study conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited; February 2005.)
More than 1 in 4 teenage girls in a relationship (26%) report enduring repeated verbal abuse. (Liz Claiborne Inc. study conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited; February 2005.)
If trapped in an abusive relationship, 73% of teens said they would turn to a friend for help; but only 33% who have been in or known about an abusive relationship said they have told anyone about it. (Liz Claiborne Inc. study conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited; February 2005.)
Nearly 80% of girls who have been physically abused in their intimate relationships continue to date their abuser.(Liz Claiborne Inc. study conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited; February 2005.)
Of the women between the ages 15-19 murdered each year, 30% are killed by their husband or boyfriend. (City of New York, Teen Relationship Abuse Fact Sheet, March 1998)
Less than 25% of teens say they have discussed dating violence with their parents. (Liz Claiborne Inc. study of teens 13-17 conducted by Applied Research and Consulting LLC, Spring 2000)
Teens report dating abuse via technology is a serious problem:
* 71% of teens regard boyfriends/girlfriends spreading rumors about them on cell phones and social networking sites as a serious problem.
* 68% of teens say boyfriends/girlfriends sharing private or embarrassing pictures/videos on cell phones and computers is a serious problem.
Cell phone calls and texting at unimaginable frequency mean constant control day and night
* Nearly one in four teens in a relationship (24%) communicated with their partner via cell phone or texting HOURLY between midnight and 5:00am.
* One in three teens (30%) say they are text messaged 10, 20, 30 times an hour by a partner inquiring where they are, what they're doing, or who they're with. (Liz Claiborne Inc. study conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited; Technology & Teen Dating Abuse Survey, 2007)
