When Dating Is Dangerous

One in five teenage girls reports being a victim of violence by her date. What can parents do?

One of the ironies of parenting is how we seem destined to be clueless about our teenagers. Here we are, entwined in this most intimate relationship with our very own children, yet teens seem to live in another world--one with nonstop Internet access and encyclopedic knowledge of song lyrics. When teens start dating, they lurch back and forth between their private agonies and joys, and mask their problems and heartaches with arguments about learner's permits and lip gloss. We parents wait up nights and cross our fingers, hoping our kids will make it to adulthood unscathed. Unfortunately, many of them don't....

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!