Teenage Domestic Violence

As part of my Intro to Gender Studies class, we have to come up with a topic we've always been interested in and research it. Part of the project requirements include sharing information and teaching others as well as learning about the topic yourself. So I wanted to share some information here, hoping that it'll help someone somewhere.

Here is a link that lists hotlines and organizations that can help a huge range of people. There are LGBTQ resources, teen resources, and adult resources. Domestic violence (or dating violence, in the teen years) doesn't discriminate. It effects us all.

“About 72% of 8th and 9th graders report dating;... and 1 in 10 adolescents reports being a victim of physical dating violence. Over 40% of young people who report they are victims of dating violence say that the incidents occurred in a school building or on school grounds.” (here)

“Nearly one in six (7th grade) students surveyed reported being a victim of physical dating violence in the last six months.” (here)

“Teens' caution in talking to adults might be warranted. Our surveys of a sample of adults in Michigan found that over 53% of mothers and 62% of fathers stated that they would urge their child to talk to their dating partner about dating abuse if he or she came to them about the issue.... Over 29% of mothers and 32% of fathers stated they would point out the good things in their child's relationship with the partner.”
“...[O]nly 8% of high school students used formal sources of help, such as teachers, counselors, medical personnel, or police, when confronted with dating aggression.”
(both from here)

Writing and Learning

One thing I love about life is that there is always more to learn. Textbooks, history books, even fiction novels have something to teach us. Possibly the most important lesson I've learned so far is that, despite efforts to help, there will never be enough support for those in need. Homeless shelters will never be empty.There will always be a large number of unwanted children in the foster system or orphanages. And domestic violence shelters will always have a waiting list.

A few weeks ago, I interviewed a woman who manages a domestic violence shelter. She told me that even with federal money and private donations, the shelter is always in need. That the women and children living there, and on the waiting list, will always have to go without something or other because sometimes just feeding them is tough. So I took a list from her, a list of things they're always in need of. Besides the obvious things like business clothes, casual clothes, toiletries, and feminine products, they're looking for childhood items. As an example we laughed over, what kid wants to eat Cheerios instead of sugary Frosted Flakes? Drink water over apple juice?

The items many people fail to consider are the items shelters are in most need of. The food that has a short shelf life. Milk, bread, juice, fruit. So many people donate canned goods and pasta that they have overloads of those items and not simple things to mix the routine up a bit, like taco seasoning or boxed cake mixes and frosting.

So if you're thinking about donating clothes or anything you don't need anymore, skip Goodwill. There are always plenty of donations for Goodwill. Instead, Google a domestic violence shelter in your area and send your donations to them. Even if it's only a bag with a few shirts and some child toys, they'll appreciate it more than a corporation will.