Teen Dating Violence is a pattern of emotional, verbal, sexual, or physical abuse used by one person in a current or past dating relationship to exert power and control over another when one or both of the partners is a teenager. Abuse may include insults, coercion, social sabotage, sexual harassment, stalking, threats and/or acts of physical or sexual abuse. The abusive partner uses this pattern of violent and coercive behavior to gain power and maintain control over the dating partner. This may also include abuse, harassment, and stalking via electronic devices such as cell phones and computers, and harassment through a third party, and may be physical, mental, or both. In Teen Dating Violence relationships, there are Three Important Roles:

• The Abuser - A person who physically, sexually, verbally or emotionally hurts a dating partner.
• The Victim - A person who is hurt physically, sexually, verbally or emotionally by a dating partner.
• The Bystander - A person who is aware that someone is being abused in a dating relationship. The bystander may become aware of the abuse through the abuser's or target's actions or words, or through second-hand information.

National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or Text "START" 88788

Love is Respect
1-866-331-9474 or Text "LOVEIS" to 22522

Hope's Door (Collin County)
972-276-0057