Set healthy boundaries for teenage dating
by Kat Wiirre
February was Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. The national average age for teens to start dating is 12 for girls and 13 for boys.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Website, teenagers encounter violence in a dating setting more frequently than most people realize. The CDC reported nearly one in eleven female and one in fourteen male high school students have reported experiencing physical violence this past year.
Hands of Hope Advocate Kimberly explains that teens experience dating violence at higher rates than any other demographic. (Demographic is the study of a population based on factors such as age, race, and sex.)
She also shared that a study found one in three teens, both male and female, have admitted to committing acts of relationship violence themselves. Along with the fact that one in five high school students know a friend who is in an abusive relationship.
There are four types of abuse that teens can encounter: physical, sexual, emotional, and digital. . .