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Objective: Dating violence defined as physical, sexual or psychological/emotional violence within a dating relationship. Teen dating violence (TDV) is a prevalent form of youth violence that has gained increasing attention from researchers. Consequences identified from longitudinal studies include cigarette smoking, marijuana and other illicit substance use, antisocial behavior, depression, and suicide ideation and attempts. We aimed to examine the concept of teen dating violence within a group of forensic sexual abuse cases.
Method: The files of 222 child and adolescents aged 4-18 years, who had been referred to child psychiatry forensic outpatient clinic between September 2010 and December 2012 were examined retrospectively.
Results: Of 222 sexually abused cases, 76.6% were girls and 23.4% were boys. Mean age of girls (13.59±3.5 years) was significantly higher than the mean age of boys (10.54±3.6). All of the perpetrators were male. The percentage of the strangers, as perpetrators, was 88.5% for victim boys and 32.9% for victim girls. Among girls, 41% (n: 70) were abused by their dating partner. Those girls, who were subjected to dating violence, had significantly more alcohol and substance abuse and more suicidal act after trauma. Sexual abuse with penetration was significantly higher in this subgroup of girls.
Conclusion: The term “teen dating violence “has long been known in western countries and has been regarded as a serious public health problem. It is a relatively new term in our country. The present study has important implications since it emphasizes the serious consequences of teen dating violence, especially the suicidal ideation and alcohol and substance abuse.