Reducing Teen Break-up Violence

What do you think of when you think of abusive relationships? Probably adults, married, right? We often overlook the age group that is perhaps most susceptible and underprepared to handle domestic abuse—teens. According to iloverespect.org, only 33% of teens in abusive relationships tell someone about it. At an age when they are only beginning to find out about dating and about, really, themselves, teens can get caught like a deer in the headlight when faced with abuse. That is why taking this problem head-on we need to equip teenagers with the adequate knowledge and emotional skills at an early age. On this edition of Peace Talks Radio, we go in-depth to understand the psychology of abuse and break-up violence, the precedents set by media about relationships, and the programs that can help alleviate the problem. Yamini Ranjan talks with three experts including Dr. Malcolm Astley, a father and educator who lost his daughter to break-up violence, Jessica Teperow, Director of Prevention programs at REACH MA, and Nicole Daley, the Director of the Division of Violence and Injury Prevention at the MA Department of Public Health.