According to a report from a 2001 survey in the Journal of the American Medical Association, approximately 1 in 5 female high-school students report being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner.

Jodi Rogers, outreach and education coordinator for the Esperanza Shelter for Battered Families, said teen dating violence in Santa Fe is, "fairly common, especially with the broader definition of abuse." That definition includes physical, emotional, sexual, economical and spiritual.

"Even without being hit, all forms (of abuse) are legitimate," Rogers said.

Dating violence occurs in homosexual and heterosexual relationships. Both male and females can be offenders, but are abusive in different ways. Studies show girls are more likely to yell, threaten to hurt themselves, pinch, slap, scratch or kick. Boys injure girls more severely and frequently, the report stated.

Students interviewed say they believe teen dating violence to be a problem on a national scale, but don't see it at the Academy for Technology and the Classics. The general consensus seems to be, as one boy put it, that "it's messed up."

It is known that abuse is rooted in power and control, and a 2002 Women's Studies statistic claims that 39 percent of female high-school students report that students talk in school about whether someone is attempting to control the person they are dating. Apart from this basic understanding, Rogers admits, "It's hard to pinpoint a root cause. Each case is unique." Now dating violence is believed to be a learned behavior through media, peers or home life.

"Somewhere there is this belief of, 'I have more rights than you do,' " Rogers said. But, she noted, the cause remains a mystery.

The U.S. Department of Justice conducted a 2001 survey which found females ages 16-24 are more vulnerable to intimate partner violence than any other age group, at a rate nearly three times the national average. A majority of girls in this age group also admitted they would more likely confide in a friend than report it or talk to a counselor, a 2003 Pace Women's Justice Center study shows.

ATC sophomore Lindsay Graviet said if she found herself in an abusive relationship she would, "Get out." For many, it's not that simple.

Often people believe being hit could be their fault, that they provoked their partner into abuse, a reaction called victim blaming. This is sometimes the reason abuse is left unreported. A study on teen-dating relationships and aggression reported, "both victims and abusers attribute the responsibility for violent dating behavior to victims, caused by: provocation by the girl; the victim's personality type; the girl's need for affection; communication problems; and peer group influence."

"A majority (of victims) are reluctant," Rogers stated, noting that they are often embarrassed or scared of threats made by the offender or judgments from parents or friends. Quite often people see violence from a partner as love. "It can be hard to know when to go to adults and when not to."

Deepu Jose, 16, said if he knew someone in a violent relationship he would, "Help them talk things through and encourage them to communicate verbally rather than through abuse." Rogers emphasizes the importance of peer support, healthy familial relationships, and having an adult to trust. "It's important a victim or survivor doesn't try to deal with it alone," she stresses.

"Patterns for intimate relationships form in teen years," Rogers said. In fact, nearly half of adult sex offenders confess to having committed their first sexual offenses before turning 18. Research also shows that the severity of violence among intimate partners has been shown to increase if the pattern was established in adolescence. What this amounts to, as Rogers puts it, is, "Experiences set tones for the future... Forming social life with peers and partners is crucially important."

ATC students claimed they had education on teen-dating violence through outside organizations such as IMPACT Personal Safety and the Sky Center, and a few said they learned about it in school with sex-education classes.

At the Esperanza Shelter for Battered Families, there are procedures for dealing with teen-dating violence, altered for each case. First, the victim must feel physically and emotionally safe. They are encouraged to find emotional support in a peer in addition to what the shelter provides. A safety plan is made which will help prevent further abuse, stalking and create a safe exit from the relationship. The shelter holds therapy sessions and gives access to resources that hopefully lend to victims a healthier future.

Still, a violent relationship in teen years can lead to a host of problems including, but not limited to, substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior and suicide. They are also thought to be more prone to abuse in adult relationships.

To prevent abuse from occurring in the first place, the Esperanza Shelter has a number of programs geared toward teen-dating violence. They try to create a presence in schools with a Teen Parent Center at Santa Fe High School, and make rounds at middle-school health classes to discuss abuse, warning signs and what actions to take in abusive situations.

The National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline number is 866-331-9474, and loveisrespect.org has further information, articles and tips on the topic.

Emma Hamming-Green is a student at Academy for Technology and the Classics. This article originally appeared in the ATC newspaper The Scottish Kangaroo.