February is teen domestic violence awareness month

February is teen domestic violence awareness month.

One in three teens will experience some form of abuse. That’s according to the Family Services Alliance in Pocatello.

The alliance said the biggest cause of teen domestic violence is jealousy. It can be hard to determine whether it’s just a natural part of the relationship, or whether it hints at something deeper.

Some key signs of an abusive relationship are isolation, withdrawal from activities and a quick temper.

The Family Services Alliance said violent relationships are all about control.

“In adolescent relationships, it often looks like controlling aspects of what a teen wears, or controlling who a teen is friends with, or what activities they might be a part of,” said Sarah O’Banion, executive director of Family Services Alliance.

“These relationships that teens are in are going to set the foundation for what the rest of their lives are going to look like,” said O’Banion.

O’Banion said a lot of people tend to think violence is just hitting another person, but there’s more to it besides just physical things.

“Verbal abuse, emotional abuse, so doing things to hurt you, but not necessarily physically,” said O’Banion.

Name calling, hair pulling and public humiliation can all be forms of abuse.

One reason a lot of teen violence goes unnoticed is because it happens online.

One of the biggest forms of abuse in teen violence is social media. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can be a big problem. It can have similar signs to cyber bullying.

“It’s stalking through technology,” said O’Banion. “Using Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat to monitor what a partner is doing.”

So what do you look for in a potentially abusive relationship?

“Paying attention to whether someone is texting too much,”said O’Banion. “You know, over and over and over again. Or becoming frustrated when someone doesn’t text immediately back. Also, look for controlling who they are friends with at school, isolating them from family and friends, isolating them from activities they might be a part of.”

O’Banion said one other important thing to remember about domestic violence is that it can happen to anyone, male or female. She said it’s important not to gender stereotype.

Family Services Alliance also said it’s very common for a teen’s friend to know what’s going on in a relationship, rather than adults. So they want to encourage teens who may know someone in an abusive relationship, to report it.

If you know someone who needs help you can contact the Family Services Alliance hotline at 208-251-HELP.
You can also visit their website athttp://fsalliance.org/.
The National Dating Abuse Hotline is available to help at 1-866-331-9474.
A website Family Services Alliance recommends for help and advice on domestic violence ishttp://thatsnotcool.com/.