The personality of an adolescent undergoes rapid sexual and intellectual development. Emotionality, socialization, and self-awareness develop dynamically – the teenager leaves childhood and prepares for adulthood. This process can proceed rather dramatically, accompanied by an increase in anxiety or, on the contrary, aggression. Teenage romances are just as emotional and intense as adult couples. Relationships in young duos are often the scene of violence and abuse, the reasons for which are mixed.
The problem of dating violence is just as pressing as the problem of drug abuse, alcoholism, or school sadism. Relationships between teenage boys and girls today are unhealthy and carry real dangers. A wide variety of factors, from temperament characteristics to the psychological characteristics of family and friendships, can contribute to violent behavior (Bergin & Bergin, 2019). Attitudes toward violence in general, as well as the overall school climate, are significant. The violence that occurred in the parental family is of great importance for the emergence of brutality in teenage couples. If there is violence and abuse around adolescents, it will affect the way their identities are shaped.
Parental abuse is expressed in the physical suppression of the teenager and the brutal psychological humiliation of the personality through an authoritarian style of upbringing. As a result of such an educational approach, the teenager’s personality is deformed behavior (Bergin & Bergin, 2019). Such young people themselves become aggressive or, conversely, anxious and ingratiating to others. But the saddest thing is that the atmosphere of aggression and rejection peculiarly pushes boys and young girls out of the family. For all the differences between physical and psychological abuse, they have one thing in common: the impact on the child from a position of strength. In addition, the lack of warm, trusting, and equal relationships in the family is characteristic.
American psychologists define no less than a hundred reasons for the inadequate behavior of young men concerning girls on a first date. The main reason is the banal inability to behave with the opposite sex. Teenagers are too impatient, jealous, greedy, and violent; their intemperance is further fueled by the violence aired on television and the Internet (National Institute of Justice, 2017). A new approach to sex called hookup culture is also becoming a factor in shaping the format of relationships where more freedom and less respect are assumed. Teenagers are insecure in their abilities, but they are afraid to admit them openly. They are in search of their identity but are heavily influenced by a culture of violence. Understanding individual risk factors are something that can correct the current appalling statistics on teen dating violence.
It should also be mentioned that there is a common misconception that aggression remains stable over time. An assumption exists that young people who participate in violent acts are supposedly considered dangerous for the rest of their lives. This is debatable because there is a desire to protect both parties involved in teen dating violence. Classifying a perpetrator as a threat may be detrimental to their lives and future relationships. However, not classifying a perpetrator in this way may put future partners at risk.
The need for effective special measures to prevent physical, and sexual violence, and psychological aggression in intimate relationships, targeting both men and women, remains extremely high. The negative impact on different spheres of life of abused students also makes it necessary to think about assistance programs for victims of violence. Women are more susceptible to sexual violence and trauma and more vulnerable to psychological aggression in intimate relationships, to which they usually attach great importance in life. Therefore, the need for special women’s centers at universities is obvious.
References
Bergin, C. C., & Bergin, D. A. (2019). Child and adolescent development in your classroom. Cengage Learning.
National Institute of Justice. (2017). Relationship dynamics and their contribution to adolescent relationships and dating violence [Video]. YouTube. Web.