Abstract
The current rates of dating violence among teens in the United States are staggering, with both boys and girls acting as perpetrators and victims. Rates of dating violence victimization vary in prevalence for both girls and boys among studies, however studies that utilize dating violence questionnaires from high school students show the victimization rate among females is reported up to 50% higher than males with regards to physical violence, shouting, insults and sexual abuse by a dating partner (Coker et al., 2014; Hamby & Jackson, 2010). Relationship dynamics often play out in a very public way because teens spend a large portion of their time in school and in groups. For various reasons, a boyfriend or girlfriend may act very differently when in the presence of peers. For example, boys in one focus group study by Fredland, Ricardo, Campbell, Sharps, and Kube (2005), said that if a girl hit them in front of their friends, they would need to hit her back to "save face" (p. 109). When it comes to motivations for using violence and the consequences of being a victim of teen dating violence, the differences between the sexes are pronounced. Although both boys and girls report that anger is the primary motivating factor for using violence, girls also commonly report self-defense as a motivating factor, and boys commonly cite the need to exert control (O’Keefe, 1997). Boys are also more likely to react with laughter when their female partner is physically aggressive (Molider & Tolman, 1998). Girls experiencing teen dating violence are more likely than boys to suffer long-term negative behavioral and health consequences, including suicide attempts, depression, cigarette smoking and marijuana use (Ackard, Eisenberg, & Neumark-Sztainer, 2007). Due to the inconsistent rates reported across concerning female vs. male victimization and perpetration, gender equity as part of an effective dating violence prevention program is vital in counteracting gendered ideologies of both sexes and how they respond to one another. Over half the states currently do not have programs in place or legislation regarding policies, procedures on dating violence prevention or education in schools (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 2014). Purpose of the Project As part of this project, the dating violence prevention curriculum guide PowerPoint aims to help high school instructors understand the fundamental dynamics of dating violence. The lesson plans following the training encouraging group discussion on gender equity and promotion of critical thinking. Notes on each slide and an audio portion help guide the instructor using problem-posing questions and possible student responses to the material. To aid in implementation the lesson plans correlate with the Common Core State Standards. Project Description Because gender stereotypes and roles can act as contributors to dating violence, gender equity training would be a beneficial for both educators and students, and could act as an effective precursor for this curriculum guide (Carinci, 2007). Although the curriculum guide itself focuses primarily on dating violence prevention versus gender equity, it does attempt to promote critical thinking by both educator and student on gender roles and how they contribute to violence in relationships through open-ended questions and suggestions in the lesson plans. The curriculum guide (Appendix C) is comprised of PowerPoint slides on dating violence, notes with questions and suggestions to stimulate student discussion, and lesson plans that further motivate student collaboration, service-learning and how the lesson plans relate to Common Core State Standards.