New App Educates Parents on Teen Dating Violence

Love is Not Abuse iPhone app educates parents about digital relationship abuse

Technology is now teaching parents how to talk to their kids about violence in relationships. The Love Is Not Abuse iPhone app released this week is designed to educate parents about digital relationship abuse by placing them in the position of their teens.

The app provides examples of threatening text messages, emails and phone calls from an abusive boyfriend or girlfriend.

"Technology is a tool for someone trying to exert power or control to do that. We've heard of cases of teens in relationships checking up on their partner, 10, 20, even 30 times an hour," said Jane Randel, of the clothing company Liz Claiborne Inc., which helped to launch the app.

The app also teaches parents the warning signs of a teen in an abusive relationship and how to talk to them about such issues.

Teen dating violence is more common in the U.S. than many may believe it to be. In 2010, the CDC reported that 1 in 4 adolescents report verbal, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse from a dating partner each year. About 10% of students nationwide report being physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past 12 months.