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Domestic violence is common among adults and women are most often the victims. In fact, almost half of the women killed by a homicide in the United States are by their intimate partner, past or present.
A new study now reveals that this type of violence also poses a risk to the lives of adolescent girls.
The study found that of the more than 2,000 teenagers murdered between 2003 and 2016, nearly 7%, or 150 teenagers, were killed by their intimate partner, current or former.
Ninety percent of the victims were women and their average age was about 17 years old. In almost 80% of cases, the author was 18 years of age or older.
The results were published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.
"People think that intimate partner violence in adolescents is less serious than in adults," says study author Avanti Adhia, an epidemiologist at the University of Washington. "It is important to emphasize that this can actually lead to death.This is not something that can be described as" This is just a dispute between children. ""
The study could be the first to propose a national estimate of the number of adolescent deaths due to dating violence, says Anita Raj, director of the Center for Gender Equity and Health at the University of California at San Diego, and did not participate in the new study.
"I've never seen this kind of work with this very young [age] group, "she says. I did not know that it was a problem of teens on this scale. "
The new study also provides details on the circumstances of the deaths.
Adhia and her colleagues reviewed the information contained in the files of law enforcement, forensic or coroner's office for each case. And they found that firearms, especially handguns, were the most common cause of injury, accounting for 61% of cases.
"With regard to lethality, it was very much dependent on the availability of firearms," says Deborah Capaldi, a developmental psychologist and senior scientist at the Oregon Science Learning Center, who has studied adolescent violence, but does not talk about it. did not participate in the new study. "When they are in a state of anger, anger, loss of control, they are able to get a gun, which is more likely to end the murder of their partner."
The new study also explored the events triggering these deaths. The most common reasons were the breakup of the victim with the perpetrator or the refusal to start a relationship with her. This accounted for 27% of cases. The jealousy of the author was also included in this group.
Previous research shows that jealousy is a common problem in teenage relationships, says Capaldi.
In a study, she and her colleagues brought young people between the ages of 17 and 18 to discuss the relationship conflicts they were facing. The most common issue raised by teens was the jealousy of their partners, she says.
"It was both in girls and boys," she says. "The most dangerous situation is when you have a poor history [emotional] control, hostility, then they are placed in a high-risk situation like becoming jealous. "
And ruptures, she adds, constitute a particularly volatile and dangerous period in abusive relationships. "We found that the separations took place during dangerous times because they were more likely to cause injury," said Capaldi. "When the partners are together, although they can engage in spousal abuse, they are not trying to cause serious harm." When they separate, they pick on them and they try to hurt the other person. "
About 25% of cases were triggered by heated discussions between victim and perpetrator, making it the second most common triggering event.
The careless use of firearms has also led to the death of some, while others are because the victim was pregnant and the perpetrator did not want to have the baby or feared arrest for rape.
Dating violence is common
The results are "shocking and scary", but "unfortunately, this is not surprising," says Megan Bair-Merritt, a pediatrician at the Boston Medical Center and at the Boston University School of Medicine, who wrote an accompanying editorial on the study.
Dating violence in teens is "incredibly common," she says.
According to the National Youth Adolescency and Intimate Violence Survey, over 60% of teens reported being abused – physically, badually and / or emotionally – by someone they were dating or dating. already had a relationship.
"We need to recognize how widespread teen dating violence is," says Bair-Merritt. "This can have incredibly important consequences for health and well-being, including mortality."
Young victims of intimate partner violence are at higher risk of having abusive relationships in the future, says Raj.
"It's like that that they learn to build relationships," she says. "Chances are this [kind of violence] recurring. "
Prevention and help
The new findings raise two important questions about prevention and intervention, says Bair-Merritt.
"How can we talk to teenagers and children from the very beginning of dating violence?" she says, "How can we put in place good interventions?"
She says adults should talk openly to children about their relationships even before they go out together. "I think it's important to talk about what a healthy relationship is," she says.
It is also important for children to have many "adults safe" in their lives, adds Bair-Merritt. They are adults – parents, teachers, coaches, pastors, grandparents – with whom teens feel comfortable and trusted, to whom they can relate during their experiences. stressful.
"For young children, relationships with adults are protected from stressors," she says. "There is a physical stress buffer for teens who have these relationships. [connections], the best."
And pediatricians have an important role to play in preventing and responding to adolescent dating violence, she writes in the editorial.
"The American Academy of Pediatrics says we should talk to teens about their relationships and support them," Bair-Merritt said. "We have a pretty good litter and most teenagers see their pediatrician at least once a year."
And since most children have known their pediatrician for years, they are more likely to trust them for information about dating relationships, she says.
Health professionals should be aware of signs suggesting that their adolescent patients might be in an abusive relationship, she writes in the editorial. Intimate partner violence has been shown to increase the risk of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Pediatricians can look for signs of these mental health problems, social isolation, and changing educational outcomes.
Restricting access to firearms is also part of the solution, says Capaldi. Parents should talk to their children about gun safety, she says, and make sure all firearms at home are kept in safe places. They should also ask their children if the person they are coming from has or has access to a firearm. "Ensuring that guns are well preserved is a huge problem," she says.
Schools can also be an important part of the solution, says Capaldi.
School nurses and counselors can spot signs of dating violence and help support victims, she says. Schools that do not have the resources to help should connect victims with community resources, such as counseling centers or relevant non-profit organizations.
"Schools and school nurses need to know the resources of the region," she says.
Adhia notes that there are several evidence-based programs that teach teenage girls interpersonal skills and how to avoid intimate partner violence. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have a list of these programs.
In addition, there are phone lines specifically designed for teens who are victims of spousal abuse, such as the National Support Line for Adolescent Sexual Abuse, Bair-Merritt adds. Teens can call 1-866-331-9474 or send an SMS to LOVEIS at 22522 and be put in touch with a trained professional to determine if they are in immediate danger, how scared they are, if their partner has access to firearms out of dangerous situations. Teens can also chat with someone to get help at loveisrespect.org.
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