What
Social Workers Should Know about Gender-Based Violence and
the Health of Adolescent Girls
Definition
Gender-based violence refers to
the perpetration or threat of emotional,
verbal, physical violence, or sexual assault
targeted toward adolescent girls within the
context of a dating relationship.
Facts About Gender-Based Violence in
Adolescents
Nearly one in five high school young women
report having been physically or sexually
abused (Harris, 1997).
Female teenagers are more likely to suffer
dating violence, to be injured, and to suffer
emotionally than are their male peers. At
least one study has shown that a teenage
girl is nearly three times more likely to
suffer a beating than her male counterparts,
who are more likely to be the perpetrators
of violence in relationships (Advocates for
Youth, 2000).
Although partner violence transcends all
racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups,
African American teenage girls are more likely
to report being slapped or hit by a boyfriend
(CDC, 2000a).
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The phenomenon
of youth violence in America has become a headlining issue.
The onslaught of recent school shootings seized the media
and effectively catapulted this most important and pressing
topic into the mainstream rank order of national and public
health priorities. These incidents have brought long overdue
and well-deserved attention and analysis to the complexity
of concerns and issues affecting teenagers that often manifest
themselves in violent and aggressive acts toward others.
What has been largely absent in this public discourse,
however, is the gender-based dimension of youth violence
and its tremendous impact on the health and well-being
of girls and on the larger society as well.
Domestic violence is the number one public
health threat to women, responsible for more injuries than
any other cause. About half of all American women experience
violence from men at some point in their lives (Allison,
1996). Intimate partner violence or dating violence is
important to consider and address within the context of
adolescence in that the prevalence merits serious cause
for concern. A quarter of eighth and ninth-grade students
have experienced dating violence, and 8 percent have been
victims of sexual dating violence (CDC, 2000a). Although
teenage dating violence and violence in general affects
adolescent males and females, the application of gender
analysis to the data unequivocally exposes a pattern of
targeted victimization of teen girls. Consider the facts:
Facts About Gender-Based Violence in
Adolescents
- Teenagers who have suffered from abuse are more likely
to exhibit depressive symptoms and low self-esteem.
They are also more likely to suffer episodic or chronic
depression,
posttraumatic stress syndrome, and other mental health
disorders. These patterns are also more likely to
continue into adulthood, often in a series of abusive
relationships
(The Commonwealth Fund, 1999).
- The impact of intimate partner violence on the overall
health and well-being of young girls is significant.
Dating violence has severe consequences - in addition
to physical injuries that may be sustained, young women
are three times more likely to report severe emotional
trauma when a violent episode occurs in a dating situation.
Other long-term consequences can include continued or
chronic health problems, increased use of medical services
and hospitalizations, and poor self-rated health status
(The Commonwealth Fund, 1999).
- Rape is a crime primarily committed against girls
and young women. Adolescents are considered to be
at highest
risk for sexual assault, with more than half of
reported assaults occurring in dating situations
(Johnson et al.,
1999). Overall, 12.5 percent of young women in
grades 9 through12 reported being forced to have
sexual intercourse
(CDC, 2000b). Age 14 is a young woman's year of
greatest risk of sexual assault (Snyder & Sickmund,
2000).
- Other health-damaging behavior is also more common
in female adolescents experiencing violence. They are
more likely to smoke and use other substances, and are
at increased risk for pregnancy, sexually transmitted
disease, suicide attempts, and unhealthy weight loss
(Johnson et al., 1999).
- In addition to the impact of dating violence, sexual
harassment, particularly in school settings, is
also an issue that disproportionately affects adolescent
girls,
though often overlooked as a significant factor
in environments hostile to young girls (Kopels & Dupper,
1999).
Contextual Correlates of Gender-Based Violence: Understanding
the Influences
The Influence of Childhood Experiences
and Family Dynamics
The social work perspective as it relates
to systems theory and the ecological perspective helps
to clarify the contextual correlates of gender-based violence
in adolescents. The etiology of abuse in relationships
is often linked with childhood experiences. Witnessing
acts of violence in the home increases the likelihood that
boys will batter and that girls will be victims. Observing
family violence is related to a fourfold increase in male
adolescents' likelihood to assault their dates (Johnson
et al, 1999). Nearly 62 percent of women who report childhood
abuse experienced domestic violence as an adult (Harris & Associates,
1999). Girls are more likely than boys to experience abuse
as children (Jensen & Howard, 1999). Adolescent females
experience violence in their homes, in schools, and in
their communities. The exposure of youth to chronic community
violence tends to be related to increased levels of aggression
and acting out (Osofsky, 1999).
The Influence of Social Institutions
Gender-based violence is in part, rooted
in gender and power inequities that marginalize girls and
women within relationships and society overall. While it
is important to understand and identify the individual
correlates of violence, it is also important to understand
the role of social institutions in impacting gender-based
violence. The previous legal right of men to beat their
wives - the notorious "rule of thumb"- provides some insight
into the institutionalization of gender inequities and
gender-based violence. The economic disparities that continue
to exist between men and women continue to reflect inequities
and contribute to conditions that increase the vulnerabilities
of young girls and women to victimization by violence.
As social workers, committed to social justice and gender
equity, it is important to advocate for policies and practices
that promote gender equity and equal treatment of women
and girls in their relationships, their families, and in
society.
The Influence of Gender Socialization
Gender socialization and accepted social
norms about adolescent development contribute to the varied
experiences of males and females during these years. These
experiences however, are often stratified in ways that
are harmful to adolescent girls and ripen conditions for
victimization through violence. The issue of sexual harassment
provides an example. The sexual harassment of girls by
boys during adolescence has been socially viewed as a part
of normal adolescent development. The notion that "boys
will be boys" has framed our thinking and responses to
this issue, the immediate and long-term consequences of
which have not been considered until recent years. Though
large groups of both girls and boys, 83 percent and 79
percent respectively, report experiencing harassment, girls
are more likely to report being negatively affected by
it. Girls are far more likely than boys to feel "self conscious" (44
percent to 19 percent), "embarrassed" (53 percent to 32
percent), and "less confident" (32 percent to 16 percent)
because of an incident of harassment. Girls are more likely
than boys to change behaviors in school and at home because
of the experience, including not talking as much in class
(30 percent to 18 percent) and avoiding the person who
harassed them (56 percent to 24 percent)(AAUW, 2001).
Socially permissive attitudes about gender-based
violence have been internalized by our youth. Sixty-two
percent of students surveyed believed that a male is not
at fault if he rapes a girl who dresses provocatively on
a date, and males were less likely to believe that the
male is totally at fault (Advocates for Youth, 2000). Beliefs
about gender-based violence that exist in our young people
and within the larger society can create barriers for young
women dealing with violent relationships. Many teens remain
silent about their experiences and harbor feelings of guilt,
shame, and responsibility for the acts perpetrated on them,
and are hesitant to tell anyone and to seek services. In
a survey of young women in grades 9-12 who reported experiencing
dating violence or date-forced rape, 29 percent had told
no one (Harris & Associates, 1999). It is important
that social workers involved with youth, help to shatter
misconceptions about gender-based violence, and help to
create environments and opportunities where young girls
and boys can feel comfortable talking about their
experiences and obtaining needed services.
Creating Positive Youth Environments
for Adolescent Girls: Implications for Social Work Practice
As social workers, we have tremendous opportunities
to directly and indirectly impact the health and well-being
of adolescent girls with respect to gender-based violence.
Our interdisciplinary roles in medical and healthcare settings
are particularly critical in enhancing the identification
and provision of services to teenagers experiencing violence.
Research suggests that while victims of violence are more
likely to seek medical attention than mental health services,
the response of the medical community in both identification
and treatment is inadequate (Nayak, 2000). The involvement
of social workers in increasing awareness across disciplines
within the medical community will greatly enhance the provision
of services to adolescents. This is but one of many ways
in which the involvement of social work can result in better
health outcomes for adolescent girls.
Opportunities for Intervention: Practice,
Programs & Policy
Here are some practical ways in which social workers can
become involved with the issues of gender-based violence
and help promote good health and well-being for adolescent
girls.
Practice Implications:
- Implement identification of and follow-up strategies
for gender-based violence within your practice. Work
with families and communities in raising awareness of
gender-based violence in adolescents. This is critical,
as many teens do not report violence because of fear
that their parents will not approve of their relationship.
Help families experiencing violence to understand the
long-term consequences of violence in the home.
- Encourage the development and or awareness of community
services to assist both victims and batterers. Many domestic
violence services, particularly shelter services, are
not available to individuals under 18.
- Establish referral networks that may include hotline
numbers, medical services, support groups, law enforcement,
counseling, and the like. Have this information to young
people with whom you work.
- Have information on gender-based violence and healthy
relationships, such as brochures and fact sheets, available
in your practice setting.
Program Implications:
- Organize or conduct workshops for schools, community-based
centers, churches, and the like to raise awareness of
gender-based violence.
- Organize or conduct peer training on relationship violence.
Youth often share information about violent experiences
with their friends before anyone else.
- Encourage school systems and community centers to adopt
policies and programs that address gender-based violence
and appropriately intervene in gender-based violence.
- Become a part of or organize a campaign such as "Love
Doesn't Have to Hurt."
- Involve relevant contacts and coalitions including
youth centers, health departments, law enforcement, the
medical community, and teens and their families in efforts
to increase awareness and responses to gender-based violence.
Policy Implications:
- Infuse the gender-based perspective in local and national
policy dialogues on youth violence.
- Work with your local NASW chapter or social work organization
in adopting positions on gender-based violence in adolescents.
- Become familiar with your local reporting laws and
policies on youth and gender-based violence, statutory
rape, etc.
- Advocate for research, programs, and policy initiatives
that promote the prevention of gender-based violence.
- Advocate for policies that promote collaborative and
comprehensive approaches to gender-based violence, and
give equal measure to intervention and treatment, as
well as legal recourse.
References Advocates for Youth Factsheet:
Dating Violence Among Adolescents, 2000
Allison, K., & Slupik, R. American
Medical Association: Complete Guide to Women’s Health.
New York: Random House, 1996.
American Association of University
Women (AAUW) Education Foundation (2001). Hostile
Hallways: Bullying, Teasing, and Sexual Harassment in
Schools. Washington, DC.
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) (2000a). National Center for Injury
Prevention and Control. Factsheet on Dating Violence.
(available online: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/datviol.htm#References)
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) (2000b). Youth risk behavior surveillance,
1999. In CDC Surveillance Summaries. MMWR (No.
SS-5)
Harris, L. & Associates
(1997). The
Commonwealth Fund Survey of the Health of Adolescent
Girls. New York, NY: The Commonwealth Fund.
Jensen,
J., & Howard, M. (1999). Youth
violence: current research and recent practice innovations. Washington,
DC: National Association of Social Workers
Johnson, N., Roberts, M., Worell,
J. (1999). Beyond appearance: a new look at adolescent
girls. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Kopels, S. & Dupper, D.
(1999). School-based peer sexual harassment. Child Welfare,
LXXVIII (4): 435-460.
Nayak, M. (2000). Factors influencing
hesitancy in medical student's to assess history of victimization
in patients. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 15 (2):
123-133.
Osofsky, J. (1999). The impact
of violence on children. The Future of Children, 9 (3):
33-49.
Snyder, H., Sickmund, M. Juvenile
offenders and victims: 1999 national report. Washington,
DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
The Commonwealth Fund (1999).
Improving the Health of Adolescent Girls: A Policy Report
of The Commonwealth Fund Commission on Women's Health.
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