Love is Respect

“LOVE IS TRUSTING
IT ISN’T KEEPING TABS WITH OBSESSIVE CALLS & TEXTING

LOVE IS SECURE
IT ISN’T BEING JEALOUS, SUSPICIOUS OR PARANOID

LOVE IS ACCEPTING
IT ISN’T TELLING SOMEONE WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO WEAR, OR HOW TO ACT

LOVE IS FREEDOM
IT ISN’T ABOUT POSSESSING ANYONE OR ANYTHING”

~ LOVEISRESPECT.ORG, 1-866-331-9474 ~

General Hospital is participating in the National Teen Dating Abuse love campaign by having a teenage female character involved in an abusive relationship. Through a public service announcement on General Hospital, I found out LoveIsRespect.org and discovered these startling statistics about teen dating abuse!

Physical and sexual abuse is the most often talked about piece of dating abuse.

• 1 in 5 teens that have been in a serious relationship report being hit, slapped, or pushed by a partner
• 1 in 3 teenagers report knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked or physically hurt by their partner
• 1 in 4 teenage girls who have been in relationships reveal they have been pressured to perform oral sex or engage in intercourse

But dating abuse doesn’t have to be physical.

Dating abuse can include verbal and emotional abuse and controlling behaviors.

• More than 1 in 4 teenage girls in a relationship report enduring repeated verbal abuse
• One-third or more of teens who have been in a relationship have been with a partner who frequently asked where they were and whom they were with
• 1 in 4 teens who have been in a serious relationship say their boyfriend or girlfriend has tried to prevent them from spending time with friends or family; the same number have been pressured to only spend time with their partner
• Nearly 1 in 5 teenage girls who have been in a relationship said a boyfriend had threatened violence or self-harm if presented with a break-up

Cell phones and social networking can also be used to abuse and control.

• One in three teens (30%) say they are text messaged 10, 20, or 30 times an hour by a partner inquiring where they are, what they’re doing, or who they’re with
• 68% of teens say boyfriends/girlfriends sharing private or embarrassing pictures/videos on cell phones and computers is a serious problem
• 71% of teens regard boyfriends/girlfriends spreading rumors about them on cell phones and social networking sites as a serious problem

The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline and LoveIsRespect.org is here to help!

The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline is a 24-hour resource for teens and young adults experiencing dating abuse. It is designed with teens and young adults in mind, operating around the growing technologies that they use most often: the phone, the web, and chat. Young men and women, along with their friends and families, can anonymously contact a trained teen dating abuse advocate by phone 24/7 at (866) 331-9474 or TTY (866) 331-8453.

They can also chat online in a one-on-one, confidential conversation with a peer advocate between the hours of 4 pm and 2 am. Nothing is off limits or too crazy or embarrassing to ask. They are here to help!

One in three teenagers has experienced violence in a dating relationship. I applaud General Hospital for bringing this issue to moms and teenagers across the country and encourage you to share this information with moms of teenagers.

Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review. I am not participating in this four week campaign for General Hospital branded items, I am participating to share my opinions about the show.