Dating abuse and other forms of domestic violence among teens are a major problem in United States high schools, and a new study contends that schools are not doing enough to prepare teachers and staff for handling those incidents.
The study surveyed high school counselors and asked for their perspective on how dating abuse is being addressed in their schools. The majority of the counselors said that the school they work at offers no training or guidelines for handling domestic abuse in high school relationships.
This study follows prior research suggesting that between 10 and 30 percent of teenagers have been physically hurt by their significant other in a relationship. The affects of dating abuse can be extreme and long-lasting, increasing the risk of suicidal thoughts, STDs, weight gain and other conditions.
Yet dating abuse has received little to no attention from public schools, and many high school counselors find themselves without any idea of how to handle dating abuse among the student population.
According to experts, schools may be reluctant to get involved in the romantic relationships forged by their students. They may also fear retribution from parents for getting involved in the private lives of students.
Of the 550 school counselors surveyed, 81 percent said their school had no plan of action for addressing dating abuse. On the other hand, a full 61 percent of those counselors said they have had to handle situations related to dating abuse in the last two years.
The study was published in the August issue of Pediatrics. Hopefully it brings the necessary attention to dating violence in our high schools.
Source: Health.com, "U.S. High Schools Lax in Preventing Dating Abuse: Study," Steven Reinberg, July 9, 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.