What is TDV?
Defining Teen Dating Violence
It is important to understand teen dating violence (TDV) as a school social worker, but it can be hard to define especially in relation to similar concepts such as domestic violence and intimate partner violence. There are many definitions for TDV but a basic working definition can act as a catalyst to your work in TDV assessment, prevention, and intervention. Simply put TDV is any physical, sexual, emotional, mental, cyber, or other violence or abuse from one adolescent romantic partner to another of any gender or sexual orientation.
Learning faulty definitions of love
when we are quite young
makes it difficult to be loving
as we grow older
~bell hooks
All About Love
Differentiating DV, IPV, and TDV
Domestic Violence (DV)
Domestic violence is the term that has historically been used to refer to relationship violence, but the term actually refers to only violence among those in a domestic relationship (married couples, couples living together, or even violence among family members). Although DV is often used to refer to any violence in romantic relationships (including dating relationships), the use of the word domestic can be misleading. IPV is more accurate to refer to dating violence (between partners of any age) and can even include violence between married or cohabiting couples.
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
Intimate partner violence is an all-encompassing term to refer to any violence or abuse that occurs in any romantic relationship. IPV encompasses TDV and is used more broadly than DV to refer to relationship violence. IPV is not incorrect when referring to dating violence among teens but TDV is more accurate.
Teen Dating Violence (TDV)
Teen dating violence is any physical, sexual, emotional, mental, cyber, or other violence or abuse from one adolescent romantic partner to another of any gender or sexual orientation. TDV is a form of IPV but is distinct from DV and IPV in that it is specific to violence occurring in adolescent romantic relationships and can be unique in the type of control that is exerted (i.e. through the use of social media).
We want to know what it means to love,
what we can do in our everyday lives
to love and be loved
~bell hooks
All About Love
Understanding the Teen Power and Control Wheel
Power and Control Wheel: The Original
This is the standard power and control wheel that we often use to understand how intimate partner violence (IPV) can present in romantic relationships. In this version of the power and control wheel tactics such as using children and economic abuse are detailed as possible signs of abuse, as these may be methods used in adult romantic relationships for one partner to gain control over another. However, these are not likely to be present in adolescent relationships. If we were to use this wheel to determine if abuse is present in adolescent romantic relationships, we might miss things because we would be looking for the same signs of abuse and control that might be present in adult romantic relationships.
Power and Control Wheel:
The Teen Version
The Teen Power and Control wheel is an adaptation of the standard power and control wheel above. This version of the wheel specifically identifies how abuse may present in adolescent romantic relationships, especially those that may not likely be present in adult relationships (and therefore do not appear on the standard wheel). For instance, the Teen Power and Control wheel includes possible tactics likely to be present in an adolescent relationship such as peer pressure and using social status. If we only use the standard Power and Control Wheel we are likely to miss these as signs of abuse in an adolescent romantic relationship.
Teen dating violence (TDV) is similar to intimate partner violence in that both refer to violence in a romantic relationship. TDV refers specifically to violence in a romantic relationship between adolescents, an important distinction given the unique presentation of unhealthy and abusive traits in teen relationships.
Now that you have an understanding of what TDV is, click the link below to learn about the prevalence rates and impacts of TDV.