Teens' and parents' perceived levels of helpfulness: An examination of suggested “things to say” to youth experiencing Teen Dating Violence

Teen Dating Violence (TDV) is a public health issue that has long lasting implications into adulthood. Making matters more precarious is the scant evidenced-based information available to parents to help them respond to teens' reports of TDV exposure. This study examined parental and youth perceptions of the helpfulness and likelihood of use of suggested parental responses to dating violence. Results indicated that parents' potential supportive comments about “rights” and “whose fault” were viewed as the most helpful and likely to be used. The least approved statements were connected to parents' threatening punishment. The most endorsed comments provide information without undermining the teens' self-esteem and offer insight about how parents can promote more helpful dialogs about teens' experiences with dating violence.