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   ** CCT 205: ** // Digital Innovation and Cultural Transformation // ** PART 1: ** Group Cultural Transformation Research Assignment and Communications Strategy ** Impact Group: ** Samantha Dookhoo, Christy Moffat, Sabrina Sukhu and Nikki White ** Topic// : // **//  Teenage Dating Violence  // ** Due Date: ** Thursday March 3, 2011    <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> ** <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">INTRODUCTION: What is “dating violence” and why are teenagers vulnerable to it? **<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> Everyone is familiar with abuse whether it be first hand or knowing someone who has been abused. Abuse is a broad topic since there are many forms of abuse (sexual, physical, verbal so on) and it can happen to anyone any age, race or gender. Are certain people, genders, or races more inclined to abuse? The research in this paper will help to shed light on these kinds of questions. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> Our group will be narrowing down on a certain area of abuse. Although there is much awareness raised for child abuse and battered women who have been abused by their spouse there is little awareness or support for a very crucial group, the teenager. The age group that we will be looking at is teens from 13-18. More specifically we will be looking at abuse in relationships in this certain age group. This kind of abuse has been labeled Dating Violence by The Department of Justice Canada. Children are too young to be getting involved with romantic partners, therefore the teen years are really the years where girls and boys are starting to explore relationships. Just because teens are younger does not mean that there is no abuse in relationships. It is a common occurrence that once someone has been abused they are more prone to find abuse in a partner or to become an abuser themselves. Our group will be taking a look at the following categories of this form of teen abuse:

// * Research with The Department of Justice Canada <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> Our group will be laying out the current knowledge on this subject so that people can understand the problem before trying to solve it. One must start fixing the problem on a small local scale before moving to a larger one. Ways to implement change on a small scale can be started in schools by introducing mandatory programs for all students to learn about abuse. Also since abuse is a touchy subject there should be anonymous ways to speak with others if one desires. And even more specifically the victims should be able to choose exactly what kind of people they would like to discuss the subject with. The internet can be a great tool for this sort of interaction. If victims feel that there is a safe place to share stories online it would be very beneficial. Of course creating a safe environment online is a challenging concept since anyone can have access to the internet and make up fake identities. Ways to create a safe online environment will be discussed later on by the group. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> ** <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">RESEARCH METHODS: How big a problem is teenage “dating violence” in Canada? ** <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">According to the Department of Justice Canada, “Dating Violence” and can be defined as the following “dating violence refers to the abuse or mistreatment that occurs between “dating partners”, individuals who are having—or may be moving towards—an intimate relationship, it also may occur in either heterosexual or same-sex relationships” (“// Department of Justice Canada //”, 1, 2009). In addition to this, the Department also states “20- 30 % of late adolescent- aged youth are experiencing Dating Violence” (Stephenson, 1, 2009). <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">The following case studies conducted on Elementary, High School and College and University students depict just how prevalent the issue of Date Violence is in Canada. In the first study, a sample group of 1,835 girls in grades 1 through 8 were asked to relate back to their experiences of abuse inflicted by their significant other. It was determined that “3% reported that their partners had threatened to physically force them to engage in sexual activities, 4% indicated that they had been physically forced to engage in sexual activities, 24% reported that their partners had hurt them emotionally; and 7.2% said they had been physically hurt and 8% said that their partners had threatened to use physical force to make them engage in sexual activities; 14% indicated their dating partner had physically forced them to engage in sex acts, 50% reported that they had been hurt emotionally; and 9% said that their dating partner had physically hurt them” (“// Department of Justice Canada //”, 1, 2009). <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Fortunately, the investment of time by the Department of Justice Canada has proven to be beneficial because it has provided the population with information that may have been dismissed in terms of importance, but the question that arises once again is: is there a proactive plan(s) in place to reduce the increasing rates of dating violence? To assume that dating violence takes a premature halt at the College and University level is an inaccurate portrayal of the truth. Consider the following statistic that illustrates this issue as a permanent stigma rather than a short-lived thought “an estimated 1.7 million Canadian (about 16% of all women) had experienced at least once incident of sexual or physical assault in dating relationships since the age of 16” (“// Department of Justice Canada //”, 1, 2009). <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">One now knows the statistics underlying the problem, but what about the actual victim? According to recent studies it was determined that “among young women being victimized physically or sexually in a dating relationship is associated with increased risk of substance use, unhealthy weight control behaviours, sexual risk behaviours, pregnancy and suicidal behaviour” (Silverman, Raj, Mucci & Hathaway, 572, 2001). This issue, that was once as small as a snowflake is now careening down the mountain, gaining momentum as more snowflakes begin to adhere to the surface. The same analogy can be applied to dating violence: the more the issue is allowed to expand and gain momentum, the more uncontrollable it becomes. The job that now rests in the hands of the people and the government to promote awareness among the Canadian population on Dating Violence. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> ** <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">DISCUSSION: Why is it important to create a solution to this problem effecting Canadian teens? ** <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">With these research scenarios of Elementary, High School and Post-secondary students, we can see that the abundance of information given not only re-iterates the prevalence of ‘Dating Violence,’ but also strives to ingrain a high importance of this particular issue in society that ultimately needs to be garnered attention in order to create a solution. Despite the relatively moderate percentage of adolescent youths that are experiencing ‘dating violence’, it does not in no way diminish the importance of it, and the necessary needs to find methods of release for these abuse victims. With this in mind we can further analyze the percentages given from the Department of Justice Canada and discuss what exactly it means for us as a society. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">With the rising statistics over these three specific groups of teenagers we can see that the problem lies in the actual reporting of a physical altercation as opposed to the much publicized information of emotional abuse. For example, according to the Department of Justice Canada the percentage of reported emotional abuse from grades one through eight to high school rises 26 percent, indicating how teens are more likely to share their tribulations of verbal arguments with their significant other as they get older. Sadly, this does not hold true in terms of declaring actual physical abuse by their partner, for the rise in percentage is only 1.8 as it goes from 7.2 to 9 percent. This is an extension of the social issue we are concerned about as group. Not only have we established the severity of ‘Dating Violence’ we have also brought to attention the lack of insight given to physical abuse amongst teens, as the first hand account is reluctant to divulge this information due to numerous reasons that include; stigma, fear, low self-esteem, a sense of entrapment, and possibly self-blame. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">The data presented by the Department of Justice Canada illustrates that the percentage of students grade one through eight that report they had been physically forced to engage in sexual activities is only 4, while the high school percentage stands at 14. This may indicate the lack of awareness that perhaps these students themselves have as to what is deemed as forcible sexual activities, due to the low percent rates, for this knowledge is not succinctly illustrated within the school curriculum nor is it a topic of discussion as it is commonly labeled taboo. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">One can assume that with the lack of experience about relationships elementary and high school students may have, that their judgment would improve with age especially in terms of identifying and preventing further abuse in relationships. Sadly, this however is not always the case. As mentioned above, the 45 percent of women that indicated they had been sexually abused in relationships upon leaving high school is a staggering statistic, for it re-enforces the idea that abuse is not common to just marital couples. It also brings to our attention that one would assume this percentage would be much lower considering undergraduates are much more aware of what abuse entails, and that they would ultimately be able to remove themselves from a situation that could pose this threat, but this is not the case. With ‘dating violence’ it becomes more known that removing a victim from this situation is a lot harder than many people assume which brings to our focus; ensuring programs and methods to help current and potential abuse victims which enables them to recognize the signs of abuse and to the road of recovery. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> ** <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">CONCLUSION: Synthesis of information and critical analysis of the problem of dating violence among teens. **  <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Abusive relationships come in many different forms and at different ages. No longer is abuse, as we know it both socially and legally, limited to abusive relationships between domestic partners or between family members. As my group has proven in this document, abuse among teen partners is at an all time high. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">How you might ask could this have come to be? As cited in our research methodology and discussion, teens are a vulnerable group susceptible to partner abuse for many reasons: lack of self-esteem, striving to form an identity, tendency to repeat abusive cycle, if from an abusive home, and the fact that teenagers are taught many things in school but preventing partner abuse is not one of them. It is a fact that teenagers receive mandatory drug, street safety and sexual education in many schools but not information on how to spot and prevent both verbal and physical abuse at the hands of a boyfriend or girlfriend. Here prevention is as vital as action taken during an abusive relationship. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Prevention could come in many forms: mandatory curriculum set to teach teens about abuse in relationships, guest speakers on topics related to abuse, an abuse awareness week in all high schools and the rallying of anti-partner abuse on social networks frequented by teens, such as facebook, twitter and myspace. This forum could be used for teens to share their stories. Storytelling—a powerful medium for meaning and connection—could be used to help reach other teens and let them know that they aren’t alone and aren’t at fault. The empowerment that telling your story brings, both to you and other victims of dating abuse, will help the healing process and also create an online community as tool to spread awareness and support for victims of teen dating violence. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Due to the fact that many victims of abuse house feelings of shame, low self worth, depression, potential thoughts of suicide and a stigma, they tend to keep the abuse secret. The focus with prevention, a tool to combat this blight plaguing Canadian teens, is to bring awareness, empowerment and support to the teen community for every teen to be active in, regardless of whether they have been in an abusive partnership or not. An ounce of prevention is said to be worth one pound of a cure and here our plan to combat this disease will rely on pre-teen education as well as an increased support presence in schools to provide counseling, medical assistance and legal help. Though this plan may seem costly to some, prevention of abuse at an early age could help to cut down the number of teen suicides, teen drug addicts, teen incarceration, as well as depression and self-mutilation in girls. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">A sense of self worth and self empowerment will be given to both girls and boys, when they are taught to spot the signs of abuse and report them and stop the cycle. An individualized program for girls, the most afflicted demographic, would be mandatory self-esteem classes, self defense classes and counseling to prevent situations stemming from a low self worth such as drug use, sexual assault, teen pregnancy, eating disorders and suicide. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">To go along with this a no tolerance policy should be put into effect for abusive partners, on school grounds and off. Many schools have a no tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol, and it would be important to send a message that abuse, no matter if you are a girl or a boy, will not be tolerated. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> ** <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Communication Strategy Outline: How we can create a solution to teen dating violence together. ** ** <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Message:  **<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Abusive relationships between teen partners are at an all time high, where nearly a third of teens are effected by this problem. Abusive relationships may lead to a highly increased risk of: decreased self worth, eating disorders, body dismorphic disorder, drug addiction, sexual assault, teen pregnancy, and even suicide. The message is clear: Teen Partner Abuse Must Be Stopped! Here prevention and action are key. Prevention will be utilized through mandatory school education regarding recognizing and stopping abusive relationships, counseling, empowerment through self-esteem and self defense courses and support for those who suffer from abuse at the hands of a loved one. ** <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Target Demographics: **<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Both males and females ages 13-18 are effected by teen partner abuse, but women are the primary target group because they overall are the largest number effected. Target high schools as elementary schools with prevention programs and support. ** <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Media Used: **<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Both social media outlets, such as facebook, twitter, myspace, will be used to spread awareness and to educate teens using stories from fellow teens and even guest lecturers at their school. Media in schools, such as school newspapers, school assemblies and posters up in every school, will be used to spread awareness and to educate teens on what an abusive relationship is, what the signs are and what to do to get help. As mentioned above, storytelling, both online and in schools, will be a powerful asset to getting the message about teen dating violence out and also as a way to connect and share with those who have suffered with abuse. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">
 * Ways we can improve the future of abuse in teenagers
 * Laws and stats in Canada //

** <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Works Cited ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">
 * 1) <span style="background: white; color: black; 0cm line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Canada. Family Violence Initiative. Department of Justice Canada. //Department of Justice//. Government of Canada, 10 July 2009. Web. 23 Feb. 2011. <http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/fv-vf/facts-info/dati-freq.html#ftn40>.
 * 1) <span style="background: white; color: black; 0cm line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Jay G. Silverman, Anita Raj, Lorelei A. Mucci, Jeanne E. Hathaway, [|“Dating Violence Against Adolescent Girls and Associated Substance Use, Unhealthy Weight Control, Sexual Risk Behaviour, Pregnancy and Suicidality”] //<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">JAMA //, 286, 5 (August 1, 2001): 572-579 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">