Teen Sexual Abuse
Teenage dating can be very traumatizing, and not because of broken hearts. The traumatizing effects of dating among teens are caused by the acts of teen physical abuse and teen sexual abuse. There are many treatment options available for teen victims of physical and sexual abuse. MasterNet sponsors multiple therapeutic services and treatment options for troubled teens struggling to overcoming adversity or cope with the emotionally disturbing experiences of sexual and physical abuse.
A rather disturbing study reported that approximately 20 percent of the 4,000+ girls surveyed, ages 14 to 18, had been pushed, hit, slapped, or forced into sexual acts by their dates. These findings, conducted in 1997 and 1999, were analyzed by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. This survey, administered in randomly chosen ninth through twelfth grade classrooms, included questions regarding sexual intercourse, prophylactic use, pregnancy, drinking, smoking, suicidal thinking and attempted suicide, and the use of laxatives and self-induced vomiting related to eating-disordered behaviors.
This study was the first to correlate the occurrences of physical and sexual abuse among female adolescents who display behaviors considered unhealthy and risky. The survey uncovered a direct link between physical and sexual and abuse and damaging, self-destructive behaviors. The 1999 statistics revealed that girls who had been sexually and/or physically abused were more prone to have unprotected sex, attempt suicide, become pregnant, abuse substances, have multiple sexual partners, binge drink, and use laxatives and vomiting as a form of dieting.
It is crucial that parents talk to their teens about why physical and sexual abuse, even in the form of dating violence, are despicable and morally wrong. Parents need to include the topics about sex, sexuality, healthy relationships, and moral values in ongoing discussions with their teens. We must inform teens that violence of any kind is never acceptable nor is it a form of an affectionate, caring, and respectful dating or romantic relationship. Acting out mild to severe forms of sexual and physical abuse can help teens to identify the early signs and stages of abusive tendencies, and may save them from becoming victims of sexual and physical abuse. Teenage girls need to understand that it's not normal, healthy, or tolerable for their dates or boyfriends to display "acts of love" in the forms of physically hurting them, intimidating them, or forcing them into sexual behavior. Teenage boys must also understand which physical and sexual behaviors are unacceptable, as teenage males can also become victims of physical and sexual abuse.
Therapy Insider Offers Treatment Options for Victims of Teen Physical and Sexual Abuse
When inhuman acts of physical and sexual abuse arise in teens and are not dealt with properly they may cause more serious issues in order to present themselves. Therapy Insider can provide troubled teens with treatment options that strive to develop strong mental qualities to enable them to break the cycle of abuse. Effective treatment for victims of physical and sexual abuse may require for the teen to be removed from their current environment and placed into a therapeutic treatment program where there are free of distractions and temptations, and can receive around the clock care to ensure the success of their rehabilitation and restoration. Therapy Insider has expert advisors that specialize in child placement.