Gender Violence In Adolescents: How To Detect It In Time?
Gender violence is violence that affects women for the mere fact of being women, attacking their integrity, dignity and freedom In countries like Spain, violence of this type is recognized by law as a crime, although this has not always been the case. Just a few years ago, gender violence did not even have its own name because it was not considered a social problem. This was treated as a matter belonging to the privacy of the family, so that no one could intervene to reverse the situation.
Over time, the seriousness of the issue was understood and the need for the government and society as a whole to get involved to eradicate it. Thanks to the advances made in recent years, women are no longer as unprotected as they once were, although there is still much to do. Proof of this is that there are still many women who suffer this type of violence. This also includes minors, who during their adolescence begin to establish their first sexual relationships.
Gender violence is not always easy to detect, as it can manifest itself in very diverse ways beyond beatings. Sometimes it can lead to controlling behaviors, social isolation, manipulation or jealousy. All of this is usually justified and normalized in the name of love, although love has little to do with all of these behaviors.
Adolescence is a critical time, since it is at this stage when young people begin their first romantic relationships Preventing and early detecting gender violence at these ages is key to stopping its advance and its terrible consequences. In this article we will talk about gender violence in adolescence and how to detect it.
Gender violence can be defined as a type of violence directed at women for the mere fact of being women. This is the most obvious manifestation of the inequality between the sexes, and it can occur in all kinds of forms. Physical violence is that which manifests itself in the form of attacks such as hitting, pushing, scratching… This violence can escalate in intensity until it puts the victim’s own life at risk.
Psychological violence usually manifests itself in the form of insults and hurtful words that deeply harm the victim Threats and humiliations may appear even in front of third parties. Economic violence is that in which the aggressor deprives the victim of her economic resources. This translates into a decrease in her physical and emotional well-being, as well as that of the children in common (if there are any). Sexual violence is characterized by the use of force by the aggressor in order to force the victim to have relations. Sometimes his tactics can be more subtle, intimidating, blackmailing, and pressuring the woman into a sexual encounter.
It may be incomprehensible that, today, adolescents continue to show violent patterns in their relationships. In this sense, it seems obvious that the old patriarchal schemes of previous generations are preserved. The new generations learn with their parents as a reference. If adults do not provide an education based on equality, it is expected that upon reaching this stage of life their children will begin to establish relationships with dynamics based on inequality.
Usually, gender violence in adolescence begins from behaviors associated with control New technologies have favored this type of behavior, so that the aggressor can request the passwords from her partner, review their conversations or demand that she respond immediately and indicate her location. Jealousy and progressive isolation from friends and family are another common example of behaviors linked to violence in the couple.
As we have been commenting, sexist education is the most important predisposing factor. Gender stereotypes do not help foster healthy relationships among adolescents. Thus, strength and leadership are expected from boys, while beauty, tenderness and docility are expected from girls.
In the first moments, when the initial signs of gender violence begin to appear, it is key that the victim’s environment knows how to act promptly. It is crucial that family and friends are understanding, without blaming or judging the person for what is happening to them This will prevent the bond with her from cooling and distancing from occurring, which in turn will encourage greater dependence on the aggressor.
In the same way, it is essential to psychoeducate the population as a whole, since there is often a very distorted view of gender violence. Beyond obvious physical attacks, there are many other ways in which a person can hurt their partner. Knowing how to detect warning signs can make a difference and help the victim get out of that violent relationship.
Warning signs that indicate that a teenager is suffering from gender violence
Next, we will discuss some important warning signs that can help detect gender violence in adolescence.
Conclusions
In this article we have talked about gender violence in adolescents and how to detect it. The truth is that this form of violence is no longer considered a private issue and is now recognized as a social problem. Although progress has been made in recent years to combat it, the reality is that there are still many women who suffer from it in our country. This also includes minors, who in adolescence begin to form their first sexual relationships.
It seems that there is still a long way to go in terms of prevention and early detection of gender violence, since new generations continue to perpetuate many schemes typical of the most traditional patriarchal culture For example, certain gender stereotypes continue to be inherited that establish specific expectations about how boys and girls should behave. Equality education is one of the keys to preventing violent relationships. However, once dynamics of this type have already appeared, it is important to detect them promptly by paying attention to certain alarm signals.
