TDV: Teen Dating Violence Prevalence and Impact - Essay Sample

Introduction

Commonly referred to as TDV, teen dating violence is a common form of relationship violence witnessed in most unions among the affected age group. According to Cutter-Wilson and Richmond (2011), more than 10% of the adolescent in high school report this form of violence in their relationships. Loosely put, TDV is a form of physical, psychological, and sexual aggression within the teens' relationship. A general trend in this form relationship violence affecting teenagers is common among children engaging in high-risk behaviors such as over-indulgence in alcohol, drug abuse, high-risk sexual behaviors, discrepancy stress, and suicidal ideation. The CDC expounds the four types of TDV to include physical, sexual, psychological, and stalking aggression (2017). Physical violence involves hurting your partner through hitting, kicking, and other forms of physical force. Sexual assault entails an attempt to force your partner to be part of a sexual act. On the other hand, psychological violence may involve both verbal and non-verbal utterances that result in abuse. Finally, stalking in TDV is repeated unwanted contact and attention by a partner that results in fear. TDV is a public health issue in the country that needs a coordinated approach to overcome.

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As a significant public health concern, TDV is characterized by many external stressors that may lead the victim to commit such acts. According to Reidy, Smith-Darden, Cortina, Kernsmith and Kernsmith (2015), the leading cause of violence among teenagers is discrepancy stress. This form of stressor applies both in adults and younger people in the relationship. The author describes it as a form of violence, mostly committed by boys and men, who feel that they cannot fulfill their traditional gender roles set by society. It is common for men who have not embraced the shifting gender roles to become violent when they feel that they have failed to live up to the expectation of the traditional duties of a man. This is the same in teenagers as well, who end up becoming violent to their partners once they feel intimated by these changing roles. The other type of stressor is drugs, alcohol, and other substances abuse among teens in a relationship. Drugs impair the judgment of the users, and the majority of the teens who report being abused have a history with these substances. Both partners in a relationship can be users of these substances, or in some cases, it is only a single partner. Teenagers who engage in risky sexual behaviors are also highly exposed to possible abuse from their partners. Studies indicate that at this stage of their lives, teens may experiment with a lot of this, including sex. One partner to the relationship may turn violent if their desire is not to meet, and this may lead to physical or emotional abuse. Finally, suicidal ideation may also lead to physical abuse in such relationships since the affected partner may resort to violence and try to harm their partners in the process. There are several instances of cases of attempted suicide between two teenagers in a relationship involving a suicidal person with others who is not.

Nursing assessment of these stressors calls for a coordinated strategy that will unearth the ongoing issue in the relationship. Several nursing strategies may assist with the theme of teenage dating violence once a patient is admitted to a medical facility. The first strategy is going through the history of the patient to establish the leading cause of the current illness. An examination of the patient's account may be of use in determining the extent of the damage done by the abuse. The next nursing strategy involves the assessment of the general appearance of the victim of the violation. Under this strategy, a nurse examines the overall emotional, physical, and behavioral state of the abused partner. Through this strategy, the practitioner can establish the extent of damage at the hand of the people they love. The final additional assessment includes weight, blood sugar levels, any visible physical injuries, and respiratory functions. To gain insight into the situation, the following are possible questions that the patient needs to respond to:

• Are you willing to report any case of intimate partner abuse?
• How has the relationship been for the past few weeks?
• Are there any injuries from your partner over the past decade?

Teens, unlike adults in an abusive relationship, face numerous challenges when it comes to access to support systems due to logistic errors and consent requirements. However, there is some available support system that one may access to overcome abuse from people they love. Overcoming the highlighted stressors is possible through a collaborative approach that factor in the surrounding of the young people. An excellent example of the support system is the school counseling department. When they report any abuse at an early stage to their schools, then it is possible to stop any chance of violent abuse. Parents are also encouraged to stay close to their children and inquire about any further form of violence on their toddlers.

Conclusion

In sum, evidence indicate that teenage dating violence is a serious public health issue that needs immediate intervention. As a practicing nurse, there exist strategies that promote wellbeing among teenagers who may be exposed to this form of violence. In addition, it is also possible for the victims to seek help from social groups.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017b). Suicide: Risk and protective factors. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/riskprotectivefactors.html

Cutter-Wilson, E., & Richmond, T. (2011). Understanding teen dating violence: practical screening and intervention strategies for pediatric and adolescent healthcare providers. Current opinion in pediatrics, 23(4), 379. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3433035/

Reidy, D. E., Smith-Darden, J. P., Cortina, K. S., Kernsmith, R. M., & Kernsmith, P. D. (2015). Masculine discrepancy stress, teen dating violence, and sexual violence perpetration among adolescent boys. Journal of Adolescent Health, 56(6), 619-624. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5857956/