Parents

Teens need their parents, especially those that are experiencing violence in a relationship. Parenting teens is challenging even at its easiest because of the enormous changes and growth that take place during adolescence, an important stage in the development of an individual’s identity. Children make the transition to adulthood as they explore who they are: things they like and do well, what they want to be, their attitudes and values, their sexuality, and how they see themselves as women and men. In distinguishing their individuality in relation to adults, adolescents conform to peer norms. They prioritize their relationships with their friends over those with their families. Peer pressure can be intense. The pressures and vulnerability that characterize this stage of development make battering in teen relationships unique and very different from domestic violence involving adults. Our work with teens in classrooms, in counseling and in groups confirms parents’ involvement is critical, and have taught us that parents too need support to be effective. There is no one way ‘to fix’ the problem of violence in a relationship. It is a process where you empower the teen with the strength to make the best decisions they can to live and grow up free from violence.

For more information, read “What Parents Need to Know About Dating Violence – Advice and Support for Helping Your Teen” (Paperback) by Barrie Levy and Patricia Occhiuzzo Giggans.