Teen dating violence is an increasing crime not only in India but across the globe. Victims of Teen Dating Violence are not only girls but also boys. However, girls are more likely to face dating violence. The main reason being that girls are taught to adjust and remain silent even if the partner is dominating or abusive. Thus, whether the girl is married or in a relationship very often faces violence in some form or the other.

Teen Dating Violence means, physical, psychological, sexual abuse or harassment within existing or previous dating relationship. It may be in person or online. Online form of violence is via sending messages which makes the victim feel uncomfortable, stalking, bullying.

The Patriarchal society of our country does not believe in Domestic Violence. According to the Patriarchal society of our country women who face violence in any form must remain quiet and suffer in silent at the hands of their husband or in-laws. A society which does not believe that violence among married couples does exist, how will it accept Teen Dating Violence. Thus, many times girls suffer in silence. Research has shown that around 10 percent of high school students face dating violence in some form or the other.

Type of Violence faced in Teen Dating	Percent of cases as reported by Recent Studies
Psychological Violence	60 percent
Physical Violence	18 percent
Sexual Violence	18 percent

Report of National Criminal Justice Reference Service

Violence in any form in any relation has an impact on the mind. Physical violence causes injury on the body, whereas Psychological violence causes mental harm. Various studies prove that teenagers who have been in abusive relations during dating are more likely to face violence ahead in their later relationships or abuse their partners.

Signs that you are facing Dating Violence

The person who is abusing is committing a crime, but the victim who agrees to suffer in silence commits a bigger crime:

• Forces you to get intimate
• Restricts you from using birth control measures
• Accusing you of cheating
• Trying to control your actions, dominating you
• Stalking you in person or online
• Controls how you dress up
• Isolates you from your near ones, is very possessive, over protective
• Being jealous and insecure
• Keeps checking your phone, emails, messages without your permission
• Frequently disrespects you
• Blames you for all the quarrels that take place
• Has an explosive temper

Date Rape is an increasing crime in India. Date Rape is also known as Acquaintance Rape, it means. When the victim is raped by a person who is known to her/him. Very often certain drugs are used in order to ensure that the victim does not remember about the incident.

These drugs have no colour, smell or taste and thus it can be easily added in Alcohol or other drinks. After consuming the person usually becomes helpless and is unable to protect themselves. The victim feels dizziness, unconsciousness, and looses its memory for some time. Some common date rape drugs are:

• R*******nol,
• Ga**a-Hydr*****ric Acid (GHB) and G***a-B****ne (G*L), and
• K***ine

Impact of Teen Dating Violence on the Victim

Relationship experiences have an impact on the teenagers. Healthy relationships have a positive impact on the teenager’s emotional health, whereas negative, abusive or violent behaviour has a negative impact them. Some of the consequences of Teen Dating Violence are:

• Victims of Teen Dating Violence face emotional and behavioural problems. They may face suicidal thoughts, feelings of worthlessness, doubt themselves, develop a negative body image, isolate themselves from the people around, slip into anxiety or depression.
   
• They may resort to harmful things such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in order to get rid from the abusive relationships and its memories. They feel that drinking and smoking and consuming drugs will help them to forget all that they have faced. This in turn has a negative impact on their health.
   
• When a person has faced such violence and abuse in a relationship once, he/she may lose trust from relationships. They may face difficulty in trusting their partner in the near future.
   
• People who have faced violence in their relationship during teenage life are more likely to face violence in the relationships in future.
   
• Victims of Teen Dating Violence may find it difficult to establish their identity as an adult, mingle with the society as a positive person, enter a new relationship.

Today even in the 21st century Dating is considered as a taboo. Many parents do not accept Dating as normal, and thus many a times the children are forced to hide their relationships from them. Thus, when they are facing violence at the hands of their partner, they remain silent and do not approach their parents and talk to them.

Research has shown that even when the victim is involved in an abusive relationship, they continue remain in it, reason being their immense love for the partner despite the fact that he is abusive in nature and that that such abusive or violent behaviour is normal, which is not the right.

According to a survey only 2 percent of victims walk out from an abusive relationship. However, one must a stand for himself/herself and walk out of a relationship when the other partner becomes abusive either physically or mentally. One should not give permission to any person to harm their self-esteem.