From Awareness to Action: Preventing, Protecting, and Addressing Teen Dating Violence... A Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Perspective
- Dr. Kesha Nelson
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month. This month focuses on safety, healthy relationships, and preventing violence among youth.
Why This Matters
Teen dating violence (TDV) is more than a relationship issue—it’s a mental health, developmental, and public health concern. Exposure to emotional, physical, or digital abuse during adolescence increases the risk of:
Depression, anxiety, PTSD
Substance use
Self-harm and suicidality
Poor academic and social functioning
Revictimization in adulthood
As Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs), we are uniquely positioned to identify, intervene, and prevent harm early—often before teens name their experiences as abuse.
What Dating Violence Looks Like Today
Emotional/Psychological abuse: manipulation, humiliation, gaslighting
Digital abuse: constant monitoring, coercive texting, social media control
Sexual coercion: pressure, threats, lack of consent
Physical violence: hitting, restraining, intimidation
Control masked as “care”: jealousy framed as love
Many teens normalize these behaviors—making screening and psychoeducation essential.
Why This Matters:
Adolescents who are pregnant are at higher risk for emotional, physical, and sexual violence from a dating partner.
TDV during pregnancy is linked to:
Depression, anxiety, PTSD
Substance use
Poor prenatal care adherence
Preterm birth and low birth weight
Many teens don’t label abuse as abuse, especially when control is disguised as “love,” “protection,” or “stress.”
Unique Vulnerabilities in the Perinatal Period
Power imbalances intensified by pregnancy
Dependence on a partner for housing, finances, or transportation
Fear of judgment or child welfare involvement
Developmental stage: still forming identity, boundaries, and coping skills
Pregnancy can become a tool for coercive control:
Monitoring appointments or messages
Reproductive coercion (birth control sabotage, pressure to continue or end pregnancy)
Isolation from family, school, or peers
Here are current, research-based statistics on teen dating violence (TDV) with a focus on what’s known about African American / Black youth in the United States. While national data often doesn’t break down every statistic by race, a number of studies and CDC data do provide insights into prevalence and disparities:
General Teen Dating Violence in the U.S.
About 1 in 12 U.S. high school students who dated reported experiencing physical dating violence in the past year, and about 1 in 10 reported sexual dating violence.
Unhealthy or abusive teen relationships can include physical harm, sexual coercion, stalking, or emotional/verbal abuse.
African American / Black Youth – Prevalence & Disparities
In some studies, Black/African American teens report rates of TDV that are similar to or slightly higher than national averages for U.S. adolescents:
About 8 % of Black youth reported experiencing physical dating violence, and about 6 % reported sexual dating violence in one sample.
In a long-term U.S. study of high school teens, dating violence prevalence among Black teens was ~12.9 %, higher than among White (8 %) and Hispanic (10.5 %) teens.
CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data indicate that among adolescents who dated, the overall rate of any teen dating violence for Black/African American students was about 15.3 % — slightly lower than some other groups but still substantial.
Broken down by gender among Black teens: ~18.3 % for females and ~12.2 % for males.
Findings from Research Studies
In an urban study of predominantly Black middle schoolers, high percentages reported some form of TDV behavior, though this included emotional and psychological abuse, with:
77 % reporting verbal/emotional abuse
32 % reporting physical abuse
15 % reporting sexual abuse perpetration among those who dated.
Research also suggests that minority teens overall (including Black and Latino youth) may experience higher rates of dating violence than White teens. For example, one summary found Black teens at ~12 % prevalence compared with White teens at ~8 %.
The PMHNP Role: Prevention, Identification, Intervention
1. Normalize Screening—Every Visit
Use developmentally appropriate, non-judgmental language
Screen privately and repeatedly (risk can change quickly)
Remember: teens may disclose emotionally before physically
“Sometimes stress in relationships can show up as control or fear. Has anyone made you feel unsafe or pressured lately?”
2. Center Mental Health and Safety
Assess for:
Depression, anxiety, trauma symptoms
Suicidal ideation
Substance use as coping
Safety planning must be realistic for a teen’s developmental and social context
3. Prevention Is Education
Teach what healthy relationships actually look like:
Consent still matters in pregnancy
Jealousy ≠ love
Stress is not an excuse for harm
Everyone deserves bodily autonomy—including pregnant teens
4. Strengthen Protective Factors
Reconnect teens to trusted adults
Encourage school continuation when safe
Link to:
Perinatal mental health support
Youth-specific DV resources
Parenting and peer support groups
What Awareness Looks Like in This Space
Asking before there’s a crisis
Believing teens when they disclose
Avoiding shame-based messaging
Providing options—not ultimatums
Bottom Line
Teen dating violence in the perinatal space is both a mental health issue and a public health isThe PMHNP Role in Prevention
1. Early Identification & Screening
Normalize questions about relationships during mental health visits
Use developmentally appropriate, non-judgmental language
Screen for TDV when teens present with mood changes, somatic complaints, or risk behaviors
“How do disagreements usually get handled in your relationship?”
2. Trauma-Informed, Youth-Centered Care
Believe teens without minimizing or overreacting
Validate feelings while respecting autonomy
Avoid victim-blaming or pressure to leave before they’re ready
Assess safety without creating fear
3. Psychoeducation as Prevention
PMHNPs help teens:
Define healthy vs. unhealthy vs. abusive relationships
Understand consent, boundaries, and digital safety
Recognize warning signs early
Build emotional literacy and self-worth
Prevention begins when teens learn that love should never feel like fear.
4. Family & Community Collaboration
Educate caregivers on warning signs without breaching confidentiality
Partner with schools, youth programs, and faith-based organizations
Advocate for culturally responsive, inclusive programming
5. Equity & Intersectionality
PMHNPs must recognize that TDV risk is higher for:
LGBTQ+ youth
Youth of color
Youth with disabilities
Teens with prior trauma or mental health conditions
Prevention efforts must be inclusive, affirming, and culturally grounded.
“Healthy teen relationships are built on respect, choice, communication, and safety. Abuse—whether physical, emotional, or digital—is never a normal part of growing up.”
Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month reminds us that protecting teen mental health also means protecting their relationships.
Kesha Nelson, PhD, MSN/Ed, RN, APRN-CNP, PMHNP-BC, ADHD-CCSP
Director of Mental Health – BLACK BERRY & JUICE
The BLACK Collaborative Inc.
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