Teen Dating Violence Term Paper

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Teen dating violence is at epidemic proportions and has become to the topic of debate in recent years. The purpose of this discussion is to identify a single intervention in working within the family that would help a child's resilience to controlling his/her temper. The discussion will focus on describing the intervention; how and why it might be beneficial; what might motivate people to participate fully in the prevention. The paper will also explain why I think this intervention would be effective. Finally, the investigation will document any publications that advocate the intervention approach that I choose to discuss. Let's begin our discussion by describing the cause of teen dating violence.

Causes of Teen Dating Violence

The epidemic of teen dating violence is believed to have many different causes. Chief among these causes is an assailant's exposure to violence. Specifically teens are more likely to become assailants if they are exposed to violence in their families or in their community. According to an article published in the journal, Social Work Research,

Malik et al. (1997) found that exposure to violence -- community and family -- were the strongest predictors of involvement in dating violence. They concluded that demographic variation in dating violence is largely the result of a corresponding difference in exposure to multiple forms of violence. Williams et al. (1998) found that exposure to violence, deteriorated neighborhoods, negative peer environment, and traumatic experiences predicted 29% of the variance in African-American youths' involvement in violent behavior."(Black and Weis 2001)

As you can see, the causes of teen dating violence are well documented. It seems that violence is a learned behavior that can be prevented if youth are presented with the appropriate prevention program.

Description of the proposed prevention program

The single intervention I would propose for a resilient youth would be on of mentorship. Not only would the mentor aid the child but he/she would also mentor the parents. The purpose of this intervention would be to demonstrate to the youth and the parents that they have the ability to make better choices.

The implementation of this program would take place over several phases including; training, consultation, orientation, in home sessions, completion of intervention and follow up. During the training phase of implementation, mentors are taught how to relate to parents and children. The training will include sessions featuring a Child Psychologist who will give the mentors a greater understanding of the thought processes that a child may be experiencing. Likewise there will be a psychologist there who can answer questions concerning the mind set of the parents.

The next step in the implementation of the program is consultation. The purpose of the consultation will be to evaluate the needs of the entire family. I will also provide the family with the mentor who is best able to meet their needs.

Consultation is one of the most important factors in ensuring the success of the intervention.

The third phase of implementation is orientation. During this phase the mentor and mentees are introduced to one another and that ground rules concerning the relationship of all parties involved are discussed. Orientation aids the parent and child in having a greater understanding of the purpose of the program.

In-home sessions will make up the fourth phase of implementation.

In home sessions will allow the parent and children to learn better communications skills so that they can articulate their feelings. Conducting the program inside of the home also allows the mentor to see the dynamics of the family, so that he/she can be better mentors. In home sessions also create a warm atmosphere for the family.

During this phase of the program families will be taught mediation strategies and anger management. In addition, this phase will pay special attention to gender differences and the importance of respect in a relationship.

Since female teenagers are the more likely of the genders to be abused, they will be taught how to recognize the warning signs of a potentially abusive boyfriend.

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On the other end of the spectrum male teenagers will be taught about the consequences of violence and the impact that it has on the victim. It is also important to teach parents the importance of recognizing the signs of abuse so that they may help their children. In addition, parents that have had a history of abusive relationships will have to be taught how to deal with their own hurts so that they can help their children.

The next phase of the intervention program is the closing. During this three-week period the mentors must reiterate the things that have been taught during the intervention. In addition, participants can ask mentors questions about anything in the program that lacked specificity.

Finally during the follow up stage the mentors can make certain that the program is working. The mentors will also provide the parents and children with journals that will allow them to mark their progress and share their thoughts about the program. Follow up is essential because it allows the mentor to evaluate the program and the facets of the program that can be improved.

How and why it might be beneficial

This intervention program would be beneficial to the community and the overall family environment. The program will be beneficial because it will aid teenagers in understanding the importance of self-respect and respect for others. Once respect is established, teenagers will not want to harm their dates, because he or she has been taught the consequences of violence. In addition, the teenagers will be taught ways to cope with their anger without resorting to violence. Ultimately, the hope is that teen dating violence will be greatly reduced by this intervention.

Another benefit of this intervention is that it will have a positive impact on the overall community. Once teenagers are taught these coping skills they will take them into their schools and throughout their communities. These skills will also serve to reduce violence in schools and neighborhoods because teenagers will understand the importance of mediation. Additionally, parents will also learn some anger management skills that will help them cope and decrease domestic violence and violence in their communities.

Motivation for participation in such a program

For many people the possibility that participating in the program will lead to less violence may be enough to persuade them to be a part of the program. There are many people that want to live communities that are less violent. This program may be the answer to the problem of violence.

Others may only be motivated to participate if they are given some kind of incentive for participating. This incentive may take the form of free groceries or discounts on popular products. Giving people incentives for participating in programs is a common practice and is a practice that can be used to motivate people to participate in this program.

Why I think the program will be effective believe that this program will be effective because it pays a great deal of attention to detail. For instance, the training that is provided to the mentors is comprehensive and is taught by qualified professionals. In addition, the setting of the program is within the home where people tend to be more relaxed and have an easier time sharing their feelings. Lastly the program will be beneficial because it conducts follow up, which allows the mentors to evaluate the program and make changes accordingly.

Publications that advocate the intervention approach

Mentorship programs are often used in various settings. They are often used in at risk communities to encourage kids to pursue education and other extracurricular activities. Mentorship is vitally important to teenagers that live in violent communities and teenagers that come from violent families. As we state previously in our discussion, teenagers who are exposed to violence are more likely to engage….....

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