What clinicians can do about teen dating violence
What clinicians can do about teen dating violence
Teen Dating Violence (TDV) is a critical public health issue with long‑term effects on physical, mental, and academic outcomes. Many adults who experience intimate partner violence report their first experiences occurred during adolescence. TDV can happen in person or online and includes physical, sexual, emotional abuse, and stalking.
TDV disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ youth and some racial and ethnic groups and is considered an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE). Adolescents who experience dating violence are at higher risk for depression, anxiety, substance misuse, school disengagement, and suicide.
What Clinicians Can Do
Primary care and school clinicians are uniquely positioned to identify risk early, normalize healthy relationship behaviors, and intervene before harm escalates. Prevention efforts are most effective when education begins early and involves both youth and caregivers.
Screen routinely using open‑ended questions:
- “Have there been any new dating or romantic relationships?”
- “How has that relationship been affecting your life?”
- “Do you feel safe with this person?”
Clearly communicate what healthy relationships look like
- Reinforce that physical, sexual, emotional, or threatened harm is never normal or acceptable.
- Frame healthy relationships as a vital component of overall physical and mental health.
- Share age-appropriate information with both teens and parents about:
- Mutual respect and consent
- Healthy boundaries
- Warning signs of control, jealousy, or isolation
Engage and educate parents and caregivers
- Encourage parents to begin conversations about relationships and respect during middle school.
- Support ongoing, open communication as teens enter high school and begin dating.
- Provide caregivers with concrete guidance on warning signs of unhealthy relationships.
When a Teen Discloses Dating Violence
If a young patient reports experiencing TDV, clinicians can take the following supportive steps:
- Help identify trusted adults at home, school, or in the community.
- Encourage peer support, identifying friends who can be safe allies.
- Reinforce key messages:
- They deserve to be treated with respect.
- They should not feel afraid of their partner.
- They should never feel pressured to do things they do not want to do.
- Provide crisis and support resources (see below), and assist with safety planning when appropriate. If therapy or other community referrals are needed, make a request for referral assistance with Illinois DocAssst.
Resources
A National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline operated by the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Provides 24/7 phone support and web-based 1:1 chat for youth ages 13–18, as well as education on healthy relationships and boundary setting.
HealthyChildren.org (American Academy of Pediatrics)
Evidence-based resources for clinicians, parents, and teens, including:
Dating Matters® (CDC) A comprehensive CDC initiative offering prevention strategies, curricula, and community-based approaches for individuals, families, schools, and neighborhoods.
Do you have a consultation question?
Consultation Corner: A young child at risk for dismissal from childcare
A pediatric Nurse Practitioner called the Illinois DocAssist consultation line and spoke with a Psychiatric Consultant about the following case*:
Consultation question
A 6- year-old patient has a well-established diagnosis of ADHD- Combined Type and the child is taking Focalin IR 10mg in the morning and at noon. Symptoms are well controlled in the first half of the day, but the child is having significant ADHD symptoms in the afternoon in after-school care until 6pm. The aftercare program is threatening to dismiss the child due to disruptive behavior, which will impact the parents’ ability to work. What further medication changes could be considered?
Consultation response
The consultant discussed adding a third dose of Focalin IR 5mg to 10mg to better treat the ADHD symptoms in the after-school hours. Alternatively, the consultant discussed that the provider can consider switching to Focalin XR which may last longer (10-12 hours). XR formulations often provide more extended, even coverage. Monitoring for common side effects of insomnia, appetite suppression and irritability was also discussed.
*All identifying information has been changed or removed