Directions

This week’s readings argue that the major problems facing youth today are not the problems we typically think about. For this activity, I want you to do some research on two problems that teenagers do face: child abuse and dating violence.

Your initial post has three parts (A, B, and C):

Part A (Summarize the statistics on child abuse that you find at these two websites)

1. Go to the Department of Health and Human Services website:
   (Links to an external site.)http://cwoutcomes.acf.hhs.gov/data/overview (Links to an external site.)
2. Then go to the Child Welfare Information Gateway website:
   http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/CM-factsheet-a.pdf (Links to an external site.).

Part B (Summarize the statistics on dating violence that you find at these two websites):

1. National Teen Dating Violence Prevention Fact
   (Links to an external site.)http://www.clotheslineproject.org/teendatingviolencefacts.pdf (Links to an external site.)
2. Health and Human Services website:
   (Links to an external site.)http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/DatingViolence.htm (Links to an external site.)

Part C

I want you to explain why these two challenges faced by youth (child abuse and dating violence) are rarely discussed. In particular, what social, political, and economic forces account for the lack of discussion of these problems? Who benefits from this silence? What effect does it have on teenagers’ development?