by Dr. Jeff Gardere
(excerpted from the June 2009 issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine)

By now we are all familiar with the drama and raging headlines in which it has been reported that young singing sensation Chris Brown beat up his equally famous girlfriend, Rihanna, following an argument. An “official” photo was leaked to the press and widely circulated showing a beaten and bruised Rihanna. Though the adult world has been quick to condemn Chris Brown as being a batterer, many teenagers and fans have offered mixed opinions. Some have chastised Chris and offered sympathy to Rihanna. Amazingly, others, including adolescent and teenage girls, have said that she must have done something to Chris and maybe deserved the beatdown.

Though this Hollywood story might seem far removed from our lives and that of our children, it in fact hits closer to home than we might think. You see, domestic violence is not just something that happens to grown folks; it happens and can begin with our children in the form of teen dating violence.

Teen dating violence has no boundaries regarding race, gender and socioeconomics. Both males and females can be victims. But boys account for the larger number of abusers and injure girls more severely and frequently. National statistics show that teen dating violence is a real issue in the lives of young people:

• Women ages 16 to 24 experience the highest per capita rates of intimate violence—nearly 20 per 1,000 women.

•  About 1 in 3 high school students has been or will be involved in an abusive relationship.
•Twenty percent of college females will experience some form of dating violence.

•A survey of 500 young women, ages 15 to 24, found that 60 percent were currently involved in an ongoing abusive relationship and all participants had experienced violence in a dating relationship.

•A survey of adolescent and college students revealed that date rape accounted for 67 percent of sexual assaults.

Find out how to recognize the warning signs that your teen may be in an abusive relationship when you pick up the June 2009 issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine.