A Hit and Run Put the Spotlight on Teen Dating Violence
When two 17-year-old girls were intentionally killed by a male acquaintance in Cranford, N.J., in late September, most residents responded with shock.
“As a resident of Cranford and someone who's raised kids in this town, it’s extremely painful to know this happened and that the alleged perpetrator was accused of engaging in stalking behavior before his actions,”
Sarah McMahon, an expert in violence prevention at the Rutgers School of Social Work, saw something else: a reminder of an all-too-familiar pattern that is traumatizing many American teenagers. Teen dating violence is a national emergency.
- About 1 in 12 high school students who reported dating in the past 12 months experienced physical dating violence.
- Roughly one in 10 experienced sexual dating violence.
The actual figures are likely even higher, McMahon notes. Author's summary: Schools must help prevent teen dating violence.