JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
February is a month dedicated to celebrating love but not everyone knows what that feels like.
That's why it's also been named Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.
"It is a very prevalent and under-reported crime," explained Keisha Varnell of the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
The statistics are shocking, one in three teen girls will fall victim to verbal, physical or mental abuse.
"Teens feel like they don't have anyone to talk to because a lot of time people or grown-ups or parents minimize teen dating violence. They blow it off as you'll get over it or they blow it off as ignore it and it'll go away just like bullying," said Varnell.
But it's important that people listen up and take any red flags seriously. Similar to domestic violence, teens in abusive relationships go through a cycle.
"
They're with a person, there's an explosive phase and there's a honeymoon phase and everybody's sorry and apologetic and they get back together. That cycle can last anywhere from one week to six months," described Varnell.
Varnell says if you know a teen that is worried they're in an unhealthy relationship, there's one thing they must know.
"Don't try to change the person. Get away from the person," she said.
But because of the environment many teens are exposed to, they don't know what a healthy relationship looks like.
"A lot of times unlike women teenage girls will fight back until they are afraid. When they are fighting back they feel that well I'm not being abused because I hit him back," said Varnell.
Teen dating violence, like other types of abuse, is a learned behavior.
WLBT 3 - Fox 40
