Prevention: What’s That?
1 in 3. That’s the number of teens in the United States that are at risk of physical, sexual, emotional, etc, abuse. Worryingly enough, a plethora of reports including those by the CDC indicate that violence is increasing, especially for girls and LGBTQ+ youth. In a day and age where youth are becoming more reliant on forms and media and are experiencing higher rates of depression and loneliness, teen dating violence (TDV) is rising while prevention continues to be undermined. This article will discuss three key points: a) what prevention is, b) why there is a specific need for prevention today, and c) how youth can get involved in this line of work.
By Armaan Sharma
What is Prevention?
Prevention when discussing forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) refers to strategies and tools employed to prevent or stop this violence from occurring. There are three general tiers: a) primary prevention, b) secondary prevention, and c) tertiary prevention. Primary prevention focuses on activities as a measure to prevent an initial perpetration of violence. An example of this would be teaching students in schools about the signs of teen dating violence so that they can build the skills to foster healthy relationships.
Secondary prevention focuses on the actions taken right after an initial act of violence to deal with the short-term consequences and prevent the problem from continuing. An example of this would be providing loans for people who are looking to leave these relationships but do not have the adequate financial mobility, or providing these people with restraining orders against their abusive partners. Tertiary prevention is the least “preventative” of the three by mainly focusing on steps taken to mitigate the effects of violence, such as providing therapy and additional resources to survivors.
Overall, primary prevention is the most effective yet the least funded. Prevention efforts are an emblem of the short-sightedness of American society. Our society tends to prioritize cures and mitigation efforts rather than try and prevent the harms in the first place. Therefore, especially in our current economic system, funding for primary prevention is extremely unstable, making it difficult for preventionists to conduct their job consistently and effectively.
Why is Prevention So Important Now?
Prevention, while unknown by most, is necessary for American youth right now. I find three main reasons for this.
The first is what has already been touched on: multiple studies have confirmed that there is a severe mental health crisis for youth, with the pandemic only amplifying the extent of this crisis. When youth face higher levels of depression, anxiety, loneliness, etc, they are more likely to a) be complacent with violence or b) perpetrate violence at greater rates. That’s why the CDC finds such mental health issues to serve as major risk factors for TDV. In the Bay Area especially, many youth tend to face immense pressure from parents, peers, or themselves that only exacerbates this crisis and leads to fewer safe people to confide in.
The second is youth’s reliance on social media and the digital universe for connection with others and for information. Intensified by COVID, more youth have started to turn to phones, iPads, and computers, instead of interacting with others in person. When youth start to rely on forms of media more, they start to believe more of what they see and turn to these sources for information. That’s extremely harmful because social media has very few regulations, making it easy to post misinformation. Additionally, media platforms tend to romanticize unhealthy relationships, with Netflix having movies such as 365 Days which quite literally romanticize sexual violence. We are also all aware that social media platforms can teem with predators that seek to take advantage of youth in a variety of ways and can influence youths’ perceptions of relationships for the rest of their lives.
The third is the constant stream of major figures that perpetuate misperceptions of relationships and glorify violence, especially gender-based violence. If we take figures such as Donald Trump and Andrew Tate, they spew speech that makes it seem “cool” and “manly” to be abusive. In a broader context, they uphold patriarchal ways of looking at life by essentially saying that women are supposed to be subservient and yielding, whereas men are supposed to be dominant and violent. The unfortunate reality is that such ideologies are shared across the internet constantly and at a certain point, people a) start to believe them and b) grow desensitized to them.
How Can You Get Involved?
There are a few ways that youth like you can get involved in the movement against TDV and other forms of IPV. One is by joining youth-activism groups such as the one that I am a part of called Team STYT (Stronger Than You Think), which educates against TDV by hosting youth summits that present on healthy relationships and other relevant topics. Additionally, you can occasionally volunteer for groups such as SAVE (Safe Alternatives to Violent Environments), Narika, and Maitri, which are all local.
Lastly, spread the word! Attending violence-prevention training workshops and learning more about prevention yourself can help save lives and ensure that we build a world where future generations are well-educated and protected from violence.
Resources to Check Out:
References:
CDC, (2023). CDC report shows concerning increases in sadness and exposure to violence among teen girls and LGBQ+ youth. [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/fact-sheets/healthy-youth/sadness-and-violence-among-teen-girls-and-LGBQ-youth-factsheet.html [Accessed 8 Mar. 2023].