Teen Dating Violence Linked to Substance Abuse, Depression

Skip to content Enter Search Keywords. Use the arrow keys to navigate suggestions. Health A-Z

Common Conditions

View All ADD/ADHD Allergies Arthritis Cancer Cold, Flu & Cough Depression Diabetes Eye Health Heart Disease Heartburn/GERD Pain Management Sexual Conditions Skin Problems Sleep Disorders

Featured Topics

Identifying Bugs and Their Bites Bothered by Yeast Infections? The Worst Shoes for Your Feet WebMD Symptom Checker Health concern on your mind?

See what your medical symptoms could mean, and learn about possible conditions.

Learn More

Resources

WebMD Expert Blogs: Read expert views and commentary on popular health topics. WebMD Communities: Connect with people like you, and get expert guidance on living a healthy life. WebMD Physician Directory: Find a doctor in your area.

WebMD Pain Coach

Track your pain levels, triggers, and treatments. Set goals and get tips with our app for iPhone. Drugs & Supplements

Find Information About:

Drugs & Supplements

Get information and reviews on prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and supplements. Search by name or medical condition.

Find or Review a Drug Find or Review a Vitamin or Supplement Find Drug Coupons Drug Basics & Safety

Commonly Abused Drugs What's Your Medication IQ? Food, Medical Product & Cosmetic Safety WebMD Pill Identifier Having trouble identifying your pills?

Enter the shape, color, or imprint of your prescription or OTC drug. Our pill identification tool will display pictures that you can compare to your pill.

Learn More

Drug News

Get the Latest Drug Approvals & Alerts Find FDA Consumer Updates Sign up to receive WebMD's award-winning content delivered to your inbox. FDA Approves Diet Pill Belviq FDA Delays Decision on Blood Thinner Eliquis

WebMD Mobile Drug Information App

Drug, supplement, and vitamin information on the go. Living Healthy

Featured Content

Want luxurious locks?

WebMD cuts through the hype to reveal the best kept secrets for healthy hair.

Living Healthy at a Glance

Living Healthy Centers

View All Diet, Food & Fitness

Weight Loss & Diet Plans Food & Recipes Fitness & Exercise Beauty, Balance & Love

Healthy Beauty Health & Balance Sex & Relationships Oral Care Living Well

Women's Health Men's Health Aging Well Teens

Featured Topics

BMI Calculator: Get Personalized Results Portion Size Plate: Easy Serving Size Guide Your Birth Control Options 19 Secrets Men Wish Women Knew Quiz: Weird, Crazy Dreams Food & Fitness Planner: Personalize Your Weight Loss Plan

WebMD the Magazine App

Get every issue of WebMD the Magazine with a free subscription for your iPad. Family & Pregnancy

Featured Content

Traveling abroad?

Protect yourself and your family by learning which health precautions and vaccines are advised for your destination.

Family & Pregnancy at a Glance

Family and Pregnancy Centers

Pregnancy Trying to Conceive First Trimester Second Trimester Third Trimester Parenting Newborn & Baby Children's Health Children's Vaccines Raising Fit Kids Mom's Guide to Winter Family Health Pets Healthy Cats Healthy Dogs

Featured Topics

Know the Signs of Early Pregnancy? Test Your Smarts: What's Safe to Eat When You're Pregnant? Peek Inside the Womb to See How Baby Grows Healthy School Lunches Quiz: Know How to Avoid The Next Toddler Meltdown? WebMD Vaccine Tracker: Manage Vaccinations for Your Entire Family

WebMD Baby App

Get parenting tips, track schedules, and create a mobile baby book. News & Experts

News

View All Today's Top Health Headlines Get the Latest Drug Approvals & Alerts Find FDA Consumer Updates On The Road Again: FDA Mobile Laboratories Sign up to receive WebMD's award-winning content delivered to your inbox.

WebMD Health Experts and Community

Talk to health experts and other people like you in WebMD's Communities. It's a safe forum where you can create or participate in support groups and discussions about health topics that interest you.

WebMD Experts & Blogs

Read expert views and commentary on popular health topics. WebMD Communities

Connect with people like you, and get expert guidance on living a healthy life. WebMD Answers

Got a health question? Get answers provided by leading organizations, doctors, and experts.

Get Answers

WebMD Newsletters

Sign up to receive WebMD's award-winning content delivered to your inbox. My WebMD Sign In, Sign Up

My WebMD Sign In

Please enter email address

Enter your password

Keep me signed in on this computer Show more Information If you select "Keep me signed in on this computer", every time you visit WebMD.com you won't have to type your email address and password. This means that a cookie will stay on your computer even when you exit or close your browser which may reduce your levels of privacy and security. You should never select this option if you're using a publicly accessible computer, or if you're sharing a computer with others. Even if you select this option there are some features of our site that still require you to log in for privacy reasons.

Forget your password? Having trouble signing in?

Why should I
sign up for WebMD?

With a WebMD Account you can:

Track your way to weight loss success Manage your family's vaccinations Join the conversation See more benefits Sign Up Why WebMD? My WebMD Show Menu My Tools My WebMD Pages My Account Sign Out FacebookTwitterPinterest WebMD Home Teen Health Teen News Email a FriendPrint Article Teen Health Tools & ResourcesFrom Fit: 12 Ways to Relax Guys Locker Room Gross-Outs STD Facts and Pictures From Fit: BMI CalculatorFrom Fit: Conquer Your Cravings Girl to Woman: All About Puberty Font Size A A A Teen Dating Violence Linked to Substance Abuse ByDenise Mann
WebMD Health News Reviewed byBrunilda Nazario, MD

Dec. 10, 2012 -- Teens in abusive relationships may be more likely to develop emotional problems and substance abuse issues as they age, a new study suggests.

The study included more than 5,600 12- to 18-year-olds who had been in one or more relationships with someone of the opposite sex back in 1996. Of these, about a third said they had experienced teen dating violence, including emotional and physical abuse.

Participants were asked if they had ever been called names, insulted, or treated disrespectfully by their partner. They were also asked if they had been threatened with violence, pushed, shoved, or had something thrown at them.

Five years later, those who answered yes to any of these questions were more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors. Specifically, girls who reported experiencing dating violence as teens were more likely to binge drink, have symptoms of depression, smoke, and think about killing themselves as young adults, compared with girls who were in healthier relationships.

By contrast, boys who reported dating violence during their teen years were more likely to be antisocial, think about suicide, and use marijuana as young adults than boys who did not report any dating violence or abuse.

Males and females who were in physically abusive relationships as teens were also two to three times more likely to be in violent relationships at ages 18 to 25, the study shows.

The findings appear in Pediatrics.

What Is a Healthy Teen Dating Relationship?

“Children and teens need to know what it means to be in a healthy dating relationship,” says researcher Deinera Exner-Cortens of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. “Parents, teachers, and health care providers all have a role to play in encouraging healthy relationships and modeling respect, trust, and open communication.”

In other words, it’s "do as I say and do as I do" when teaching kids what a healthy relationship looks like, she says.

It’s not just dating violence that sets children up for health and emotional problems, says Metee Comkornruecha, MD, an adolescent medicine specialist at Miami Children's Hospital in Florida. “When children are exposed to any sort of violence or insult, unfortunately it does affect their psyche,” he says. “The study shows how important it is for pediatricians to screen for teen dating violence and prevent and/or treat these negative health outcomes.”

What do these kids look like?

“They may be isolated from their parents or peers and may not do the things they used to enjoy because their partner is keeping them from going out with friends,” he says. “When it comes time to go out on dates, they don't seem as happy as they used to be.”

View Article Sources

SOURCES:

Deinera Exner-Cortens, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.

Metee Comkornruecha, MD, adolescent medicine specialist, Miami Children's Hospital, Miami, Fla.

Exber-Corens, D. Pediatrics, 2012, study received ahead of print.

© 2012 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. #url_reference {display: none};#url_reference { display: block; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10px; }#logo_rdr img { visibility: visible; }.titleBar_rdr .titleBarMiddle_fmt { padding-top: 1.5em !important;} Top Picks When It’s More Than Just a Bad Mood Fit Food Facts and Meal Planner What is Sexual Harassment? From Fit: Awesome Workout Shoes Teen Acne Treatments: What Works On FIT: Bad Day: 8 Ways to Turn It Around Your Mind Anxiety Bad Moods Cutting Depression Social Phobias Your Body Acne Guys' Puberty Girls' Puberty Height Body Mass Index Your Relationships Friendships Peer Pressure Dating Dealing With Divorce Abusive Relationships Your Life Exercise Sleep Problems Sex Myths and Truths Performance Supplements Top 12 Topics 1. Alcohol 2. Bad Breath 3. Binge Eating 4. Suicide Prevention 5. Sex 6. LGBT 7. Dating 8. STDs 9. Parties 10. Exercise 11. Body Odor 12. Virginity Today in Teen Health Article How to Break Up With Someone fitSlideshow Make These Sweet Treats for Your Sweetie   ARTICLE Have a Crush? How to Know if They Like You Article Hot Date? 4 Q’s to See if You’re Ready   fitSlideshow Sugar Shockers: What's in Your Drink? fitSlideshow Find the Best Shoes for Your Workout   Article Does Texting a Lot Mean You're Shallow? ARTICLE The Lowdown on STDs   fitQUIZ What’s the Healthiest Ice Cream Flavor? fitARTICLE Why You Need More Sleep   SLIDESHOW What STDs Look Like fitSLIDESHOW Celebrities Make Peace With Body Gripes   Special Sections What Girls Need to Know About Growing Up Health Solutions From Our Sponsors Vaccine Questions? Low Testosterone? Bipolar Disorder Facts Birth Control for Moms Blood Sugar Control Bent Fingers? Diagnosed With Low T? Fibromyalgia & Exercise Depression & Adults Child with Diabetes? Vaccines for All Ages Knee Pain Relief Itchy, Scaly Skin? Hearing Aid Alternative Relapsing MS Help In-depth coverage: Psoriasis Treatment on Target?|Healthy Mouth Help|RA Assessment|Living Healthy Guide|Family & Pregnancy Toolbox|Check Your Heartburn Symptoms Find us on:URAC: Accredited Health Web SiteHonCode: Health on the Net FoundationAdChoicesAbout WebMD Advertise With Us Terms of Use Privacy Policy Sponsor Policy Site Map Careers Contact UsMedscape Reference eMedicineHealth RxList Medscape MedicineNet BootsWebMD WebMD CorporateMedical Dictionary-->First Aid WebMD Magazine WebMD Health Record WebMD Mobile Newsletters Dictionary Physician Directory

©2005-2012 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.

View the Original article