Intimate

Partner
Violence (IPV)
and Adolescent
Youth
Hannah Leoni
 1. Opening Discussion (5 minutes)
2. Facts and Statistics on Teen
Dating Violence (10 minutes)

Agenda 3.
4.
Role Play Activity (10 minutes)
Debrief on Role Play Activity (5
minutes)
5. Supporting Youth Who Have
Experienced IPV (10 minutes)
 Opening
What are some of the
characteristics of a healthy
Discussion relationship?
Healthy vs. Unhealthy Relationships
Characteristics of healthy relationships include: Characteristics of unhealthy relationships
include:
● Mutual Respect
● Individuality ● Dependence
● Communication ● Intimidation
● Understanding ● Control
● Compromise ● Disrespect
● Anger Control ● Dishonesty
● Physical and Sexual Violence
Types of Adolescent Intimate Partner Violence
● Physical
○ Attempting to hurt a partner through hitting, kicking, or other forms of physical force.
● Sexual
○ Forcing a partner to take part in a non-consensual sexual act. This type of violence can also apply
to “non-physical” sexual acts, such as “sexting.”
● Psychological
○ Verbal and non-verbal communication with the intent to harm one’s partner mentally or
emotionally. Intent to exert control over a partner.
● Stalking
○ Repeated, unwanted attention and/or contact by a partner that causes fear or concern for
personal safety.
Prevalence

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020

Additional Facts
In 2018, a study by the National Institute of
Justice found that:

● 18% of teens reported reported

experiencing physical violence by a partner
in the past year
● 60% of teens reported experiencing
psychological violence by a partner in the
past year
● 18% of teens reported experiencing sexual
violence by a partner in the past year
NSVRC.org
Risk Factors
Adolescent youth with the following risk factors are at increased risk of
experiencing intimate partner violence:

1. Prior history of trauma, including a history of sexual abuse

2. Child Welfare Services involvement
3. Poverty
4. Having a friend that is involved in intimate partner violence
5. Participating in violence against peers
6. Lack of supervision or warmth from caretakers
7. Exposure to community violence
8. Participating in risky behaviors, such as substance use
Implications for Educational Professionals
Adolescent youth who are victims of intimate partner violence are more likely to:

● Experience depression and anxiety

● Engage in substance use
● Exhibit behaviors such as bullying, lying and hitting
● Experience thoughts of suicide
Role Play Activity
Scenario
In small groups, work through the following scenario to come up with some ideas
regarding how you would respond to and provide support to this student:

Jessica is a sixteen-year-old female youth was referred to the school counselor after school staff noticed a
sudden change in her demeanor. Her teachers and other staff have noticed that she appears to be more
withdrawn, her assignments have not been turned in on time and her grades have begun to slip. This is
unusual as she normally gets good grades and is very outgoing. While speaking with her, Jessica discloses to
the counselor that she is in a new relationship. She reported that her new boyfriend has been taking up a lot
of her time. She reported that he will call and text her over and over again if she does not respond right away
and that he wants her to spend all of her time with him, therefore she has not had as much time to devote to
school. She informed the counselor that when she talks to her friends and family about this, her boyfriend
tells her that she should not be telling other people their business. She said that she does not always feel
“right” about this behavior, but that it must be just because he really likes her.
Debrief on Role Play
Activity
How Can We Help?
The National Criminal Justice
Reference Service suggests that
schools and, more specifically, school
health centers are “unique settings
that offer multiple advantages for
educating, preventing and engaging
youth” who have experienced intimate
partner violence.

rkcaregroup.com
Ways That We Can Support Students

Recognize the warning signs that a student may

be involved in intimate partner violence, such as:

● Physical signs of injury

● Withdrawal/passivity
● Isolation from family and friends
● Changes in mood or personality
● Use of drugs or alcohol
● Changes in mood/personality
● Truancy
● Drop in grades

teacherspayteachers.com
Ways That We Can Support Students
● School staff should be informed of child protection procedures and mandated
reporting laws
● Become familiar with local support services at the school site and within the
community, such as peer support groups, local domestic violence agencies and
helplines
● Encourage students to talk about their experiences and tell students about the
different support services that are available
● Do not agree to keep the information that a student tells you a secret, especially
if the information needs to be reported as required by law
● Ensure that gender inequality is not tolerated on campus
● It is important not to ignore the experiences of boys who experience abuse in
relationships
Suggestions For Talking to Students About IPV
Receive:

● Avoid looking shocked or as though you are in disbelief

● Take what the student is saying seriously and believe them
● Avoid making statements that place blame on the student, such as “You should
have told me earlier”
Suggestions for Talking to Students About IPV
Reassure:

● Tell the student that they have done the right thing by telling you
● Acknowledge how difficult it must have been for them to tell you
● Empathize with the student and avoid telling them how they should feel
Suggestions for Talking to Students About IPV
Respond:

● Do not interrogate the student - allow them to tell their story

● Do not ask “probing” questions or suggest answers
● Report your concerns to the appropriate administration, child protective
agency or law enforcement agency
Resources for Students
Healthy Relationship Quiz:
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Preventing teen dating violence. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/teendatingviolence/fastfact.html.

Loveisrespect.org. (2017). Download materials. Retrieved from https://www.loveisrespect.org/resources/download-materials/.

Mendoza, M.M. & Mulford, C. (2018). Relationship dynamics and teen dating violence. Retrieved from
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/251031.pdf.

National Criminal Justice Reference Service. (n.d.). Special feature: Teen dating violence. Retrieved from
https://www.ncjrs.gov/teendatingviolence/.

Sharpen, J. & Wharf, H. (n.d.). Teenage relationship abuse - a teacher’s guide to violence and abuse in teenage relationships. Retrieved from
https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/-/media/norfolk/downloads/safety/domestic-abuse/teenage-relationships/teen-abuse-teachers-guide.pdf?la=en&hash=0B
DC38C76D9B2810B7FF297B33D7D67309BCCD3F.

Youth.gov. (n.d.). Dating violence prevention. Retrieved from https://youth.gov/youth-topics/teen-dating-violence.