Teen Dating Abuse Prevention Key Terms

Teen Dating Abuse

Physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, or technological conduct by a person to harm, threaten, intimidate, or control a dating partner, regardless of whether that relationship is continuing or has concluded. The number of interactions between the individuals involved is insignificant.

Examples of the four types of dating abuse include:

• Verbal: threats to the partner or their family, putdowns, yelling or name calling;
• Physical: hitting, hair-pulling, slapping, punching, pinching or shoving;
• Emotional: telling the partner how they can dress, expressing a high degree of jealousy, stalking, calling or texting frequently to keep "track" of a partner;
• Sexual: forcing the partner to have unwanted sex, touching or kissing when the partner does not want to and not allowing the partner to use birth control;
• Technological: unwanted, repeated calls or text messages, non-consensual access to email, social networking accounts, texts or cell phone call logs, pressuring for or disseminating private or embarrassing pictures, videos, or other personal information.

Dating Partner

A person, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, who is involved in a relationship with another person, where the relationship is primarily characterized by social contact of a romantic or intimate nature, whether casual, serious, short term, long term, or as otherwise defined by either person.