Love Shouldn’t Hurt

Abstract

The healthy messages parents convey to their adolescents about risk behaviors may be related to better adolescent outcomes. Few studies have examined the types of messages or strategies caregivers use to discuss dating violence with their early adolescents. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 African American maternal caregivers of early adolescent girls. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and coded using an emergent process. Themes in dating violence conversations focused on the meaning of love, identifying red flags in relationships, and what to do when involved in a problem dating situation. Caregivers used teachable moments (e.g., watching a TV show) to start conversations, weaved dating violence topics into conversations about other sensitive topics, or included their young daughter in conversations with older siblings. The results of this study highlight strategies that can be implemented in family-based prevention programming and also the importance of helping caregivers communicate their values and expectations.

Parental responses to youths' reports of teen dating violence: Recommendations from parents and youth

“…For example, parents appear more focused on educating teens and talking about healthy and unhealthy relationships than teens wanted to hear about. These findings also support Corona et al (2015) study. Thus, parents may be well-served to carefully listen to their children's answers to questions and to refrain from providing information, unless asked which could assist in helping parents have more influence on their children's dating behavior.…”

“…However, many teens wanted to hear about their parents' experiences with relationships and abuse. Some parents' recognized the value in sharing their own experiences, as found in other studies (Corona et al, 2015;Insetta et al, 2015). Thus, parents may consider the value of sharing their own experiences and conveying what they learned rather than simply telling their children to end an abusive relationship.…”

“…Several studies have begun to examine parental responses to TDV and find that some parents are talking to their children about TDV Corona et al, 2015;Rothman, Miller, Terpeluk, Glauber, & Randel, 2011). Results from Rothman et al's, (2011) national online survey found that parents who had not talked with their children tended to feel that the children were too young or that their children would learn from experience.…”

“…Insetta et al (2015) described mothers' communication with their children about TDV as sharing their experience and offering advice about avoiding violence in relationship. However, Corona et al (2015) and Insetta et al (2015) did not include youths' perspectives to understand how teens want parents to approach them about this sensitive topic or how these approaches could be interpreted as protective. In this exploratory, qualitative study, we examine how parents would respond to scenarios of dating abuse involving their children and how teens want their parents to respond to them when sharing incidences of TDV.…”