Hey again! Today's blog is going to focus on February's Awareness Month topic- Teen Dating Violence.  According to the CDC, at least 10% of teens reported physical or sexual violence from a dating partner. And this is often a topic not addressed by parents or adults. 

This is helpful information not only for people who currently have teenagers, but also for adults who experienced teen dating violence when they were teenagers. 

Often emotional control or manipulation occurs before any violence begins, so talking about what manipulation and control looks like in the context of relationships is a helpful first step. Examples of emotional control or manipulation might include putting someone down, not valuing their opinion, controlling who they see and what they do, making them feel stupid, or feeling scared of the other person. 

Another great way to discuss this topic is by focusing on self-worth and self-respect- how we deserve to be treated (and identifying when we are being mistreated). Talking about how to establish boundaries if mistreatment occurs is also important to discuss so your teenager feels like they know how to handle the situation if it occurs. 

Here are some healthy boundary examples to get the conversation started: 
Saying "no" without guilt 
Asking for what you want or need 
Taking care of yourself 
Saying "yes" because you want to, not out of obligation or to please others 
Behaving according to your own values and beliefs 
Feeling safe to express difficult emotions and have disagreements 
Feeling supported to pursue your own goals 
Being treated as equal 
Not feeling responsible for someone else's happiness 
Being in tune with your own feelings 
Knowing you are, what you believe, what you enjoy

I hope these help inspire you to talk about this topic, even though it is a difficult one. 

Thanks for reading and being in connection with me,

Steph