Youth Dating Violence Prevention 101

What Everyone Needs to Know

Signs of Youth Dating Violence

Signs of Being Victimized by Dating Violence

(from National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) and Break the Cycle)

The most reliable way to identify YDV is if victimized individuals or witnesses to abuse disclose the violence themselves. Unfortunately, this does not occur very often, and so it is also important to directly ask.

Change in physical appearance
- Stops wearing makeup, or wears a lot more
- Starts wearing baggier clothes
- Passive or withdrawn state
- Frequent bruising
- Self-harming behaviours such as cutting, hair pulling
Teen’s dating relationship lacks balance
- Teen is constantly checking in with texts and sending photos to prove to partner where they are
- Teen makes excuses for partner’s behaviour
- Extreme jealousy is shown between teen and partner
- Teen is belittled by partner or called names
Teen’s behaviour with peers and in classroom changes
- Loss of friendships and isolation
- Teen is late or often misses class in school
- Teen seems anxious that partner may show up or know where they are
- Teen is unable to concentrate, is passive, compliant, or withdrawn
- Teen starts doing poorly in class
- Teen is involved in new disciplinary problems at school such as bullying or acting out

Recognizing if an Individual is Perpetrating Dating Violence

(from Vivolo-Kantor, Massetti, Niolon, Foshee, and McNaughton-Reyes, 2010)

Controlling how a partner spends time, what they can or cannot do, etc.
Restricting contact of partner with social network (family, friends)
Engaging in criticizing and demeaning behaviour
Controlling how a partner behaves or how they dress
Engaging in unwanted touching and/or pressure into sexual activity; ignoring physical boundaries, inflicting pain
Extremely jealous and/or insecure about partner/relationship
Displaying an explosive temper and/or mood swings in relationship
Threatening the partner

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PREVNet is located at the University of Calgary, located in the heart of Southern Alberta. We acknowledge and pay tribute to the traditional territories of the peoples of Treaty 7, which include the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprised of the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai First Nations), the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations). The City of Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6).

PREVNet works to eliminate violence and promote healthy relationships for youth and is dedicated to working toward addressing the systemic racism and the impacts of colonization that puts marginalized groups at higher risks of violence. PREVNet believes it is our collective responsibility to listen, learn, and act to ensure the rights of Indigenous people are recognized and implemented.