Essay On Dating Violence

Dating violence is the act of aggressive behavior towards a romantic partner. Aggressive behavior includes physical, verbal, and sexual abuse. Excessively controlling behavior can also be included as an act of dating violence. Victims can face potentially damaging psychological problems from abusive relationships. Victims are also prone to becoming vulnerable to other abusive relationships in the future. Perpetrators could also encounter psychological after-effects and deal with extreme consequences due to their immoral actions. Preventive programs against dating violence show promise in counteracting abusive behaviors and actions. Dating violence is a prevalent problem among adolescents, which can lead to an increase and susceptibility to psychological problems for the victims. Signs which show an abusive relationship cannot always be visible to the naked eye because they come in both physical and verbal forms. For example, verbal abuse includes controlling behavior, such as stalking, excessive phone calls, and extreme …show more content…
In a study conducted on high school students, “increasing levels of dating violence … were related to higher level of post-traumatic stress and dissociation” for females (Callahan, Tolman, & Saunders, 2003). In males, dating violence lead to “higher levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress” (Callahan, Tolman, & Saunders, 2003). Overall, both genders experience “lower levels of life satisfaction” due to the depression that often follows the victim after ending the abusive relationship (Callahan, Tolman, & Saunders, 2003). Suicidal thoughts are also a possible occurrence from dating violence. About 50% of youth who have been victims of dating violence have contemplated suicide at least once (Ackard & Neumark-Sztainer, 2002). Dating violence is not only dangerous, it can also hold long-lasting psychological effects on the