By Theemeshni Govender
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Teen Dating Violence impacts everyone, including caregivers, teachers, and the broader communities that youth live and engage in. However, teen dating violence is infrequently talked about, and as such, youth are left to independently figure out what a healthy relationship is, often turning to media. Teen dating violence encompasses several forms of violence including physical violence (i.e., use of force, including hitting or kicking), sexual violence (i.e., forcing someone to take part in a sex act when the partner does not consent or is unable to consent or refuse), psychological aggression (i.e., use of verbal and non-verbal communication to harm someone emotionally), and stalking (i.e., pattern of unwanted attention and contact that causes fear or safety concerns). Importantly, teen dating violence can occur in person, online or via technology. Exposure to teen dating violence has been shown to have short and long-term negative health consequences, including poor mental health and engagement in unhealthy behaviors (e.g., substance use). Several studies have examined teen dating violence by identity characteristics, including gender, racial/ethnic identity, and sexual orientation. However, a group often overlooked in this public health issue are teens with disabilities.
Romantic and sexual relationships are just as common among people with disabilities. So, why then is there limited research on teen dating violence among disabled teens? One reason is that, in general, most studies do not ask about disability. However, more specific to this field, is that individuals with disabilities are often thought to be asexual or sexual behavior is seen as unsafe or inappropriate. A study that aimed to learn more about intimate and sexual health needs and the experiences of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities found that youth with disabilities were more likely to be exposed to all forms of violence. More detail on these findings and on teen dating violence among disabled youth can be found below in the YouTube video linked below. Another study found that 1 in 5 young people aged 12-19 with disabilities reported experiencing violence. This was twice the rate of youth without a reported disability. In addition, among high school students who had ever been on a date, girls and boys with disabilities were more likely than girls and boys without disabilities to report dating violence. In the general population, studies have shown that youth are likely to perpetrate and be victimized by certain acts of violence. Youth with disabilities also sometimes perpetrate violence, often due to not understanding what appropriate behavior is. This can be due to the fact that the responsibility to educate youth on sex education often falls to teachers, but children with disabilities are often left out of the classroom, thereby not getting this information on healthy behaviors and relationships.
Gaps in education and stereotypes around relationships and sex for people with disabilities have made it such that youth with disabilities are more likely to be exposed to teen dating violence. Therefore, teens with disabilities should be included in prevention and intervention efforts targeting teen dating violence and be involved in conversations on healthy relationships. Current initiatives being implemented in schools should ensure content is accessible to youth with disabilities. In addition, research should focus on whether there are unique experiences of teen dating violence that youth with disabilities are more likely to be exposed to and acts they may be more likely to perpetrate to help develop more targeted prevention and intervention programs. The following websites, also linked below, “Break the cycle” and “Love is respect” provides targeted information for youth on what constitutes healthy relationships and for youth navigating relationships. Involving disabled youth in conversations and initiatives around healthy relationships ensures prevention efforts are inclusive, accessible and responsive to their lived experience, which is crucial in reducing teen dating violence in this population.
Resources:
CDC article: https://www.cdc.gov/intimate-partner-violence/about/about-teen-dating-violence.html
Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPO6HqvGkF0
Administration for Community Living article: https://acl.gov/news-and-events/acl-blog/teens-disabilities-have-right-healthy-relationships#:~:text=People%20of%20all%20ages%20with,the%20highest%20rates%20of%20violence
Mitra & McKenna article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22886316/
Break the cycle: https://www.breakthecycle.org/
Love is respect: https://www.loveisrespect.org/
