Specific issues for teenagers in abusive relationships:
Pregnancy: teenagers are at a greater risk of experiencing abuse when they are pregnant. Pregnancy creates a number of circumstances that increase their vulnerability:
- Pregnant teenagers are often blamed or harshly judged by adults, theirpeers and society.
- Pregnant teenagers or teenage mothers frequently develop a sense of
dependency (real or imagined) on others.
- Teenagers with children have fewer resources and are often unaware
of their options.
Homosexuality: this is another dilemma affecting certain teenagers caught in abusive relationships.
- In addition to normal confusion about gender roles and social norms,
homosexual teenagers face chastisement and severe criticism.
- Homophobia, the absence of visible role models and fear may prevent them from disclosing their abuse or seeking help.
Culture and race: living within strict family cultures can have a strong impact on a victim’s tolerance of abuse and their feelings of isolation and helplessness.
- Victims from strict family cultures that disapprove of dating and eschew sexuality may be desperate for help, but may refuse to seek assistance from family members out of fear of reprisals or shame.
- Young people may have violence directed at them from their own
families, because they resist a forced relationship or are in a
relationship not approved of by the family.
- Seeking outside help may produce further conflict within the family.
- Young people who believe their future or opportunities are limited, may to a greater extent than their peers base their future on their
relationships.
- Individuals raised in a different culture or prejudiced by racism or
discrimination may be unwilling to discuss an abusive relationship with
others outside their culture, racial community or family.
- There may be a desire to protect their partners from having shared a
common understanding or experience as a racial or cultural minority.
