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Explore the topic of teen dating violence with valuable resources and guidance designed for parents, educators, youth, and communities. Learn how to identify the signs of youth dating violence, understand its impacts, and implement effective prevention and intervention strategies. The information we provide aims to foster safer environments and provide essential support to those affected.

Definition of Teen Dating Violence:

• • Teen dating violence, or TDV for short, is aggressive, violent, threatening, and/or manipulative behaviour from a partner in a romantic or sexual relationship. TDV puts adolescents at risk for a wide number of physical, mental, and social health problems.

Dating Violence is a Relationship Problem:

• • Relationships are on a continuum from healthy to unhealthy to abusive. Unhealthy relationship behaviours may not directly harm or infringe on a partners rights, while abusive behaviours tend to involve aggression, threats, manipulation, and coercion.
  • Considerations about adolescent relationships:
    • Romantic dating relationships generally increase during adolescence, becoming common by age 15.
      • Dating relationships (and dating violence) can start as early as 6th grade.
    • Adolescent dating relationships have unique characteristics compared to adult ones.
      • For example, non-monogamous partnerships, casual relationships, and high use of social media for relationships are more common among adolescent relationships.
    • Over the course of adolescence, there are many changes in attitudes, beliefs, norms, and overall identity that influence relationships.