Scientific Articles

• Edwards, K. M., Banyard, V. L., & Kirkner, A. (2022). Parents matter: A descriptive study of parental discussions with teens about violence prevention and related topics. Journal of interpersonal violence, 37(7-8), NP3856-NP3874.
• Temple, J. R., Shorey, R. C., Tortolero, S. R., Wolfe, D. A., & Stuart, G. L. (2013). Importance of gender and attitudes about violence in the relationship between exposure to interparental violence and the perpetration of teen dating violence. Child abuse & neglect, 37(5), 343-352.
• Reed, E., Silverman, J. G., Raj, A., Decker, M. R., & Miller, E. (2011). Male perpetration of teen dating violence: Associations with neighborhood violence involvement, gender attitudes, and perceived peer and neighborhood norms. Journal of Urban Health, 88, 226-239.
• Fitzpatrick, J. M. (2022). Perceived parental support in teen dating violence. Social work, 67(2), 165-174.

Explanation of the Post

In many homes, prevention conversations with youth focus more on protecting daughters than on educating sons. Parents are more likely to talk to teens about general topics like bullying than about sensitive issues such as sexual violence or consent. Girls are often taught how to avoid danger, while boys receive less guidance on setting healthy boundaries or rejecting harmful gender norms. Research shows that when boys hold traditional views on gender or live in communities with normalized violence, they are more likely to perpetrate teen dating violence. Yet, these attitudes are shaped early, through family, peers, and neighborhood influence. Despite this, prevention efforts at home often fail to target these factors in boys.

For girls in abusive relationships, parental support is sometimes inconsistent. When parents do engage, by offering safety, advice, and seeking help, they can make a real difference. But to prevent violence before it starts, we need parents to go beyond “stay safe” talks with daughters and begin real, reflective conversations with sons about respect, boundaries, and accountability. If we only teach girls to be careful, we leave boys without the tools to unlearn harmful norms, and we all lose.

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