The Health Care Provider's Role in Addressing Adolescent Relationship Abuse

Authors

Lenore Jarvis, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 111 Michigan Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
Kimberly A. Randell, Children's Mercy Kansas City, 2401 Gillham Road, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA; University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS, USA. Electronic address: karandell@cmh.edu.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

12-1-2023

Journal

Pediatric clinics of North America

Volume

70

Issue

6

DOI

10.1016/j.pcl.2023.06.006

Keywords

Adolescent relationship abuse; Control; Healing-centered engagement; Power; Reproductive coercion; Teen dating violence; Violence prevention

Abstract

Adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) is highly prevalent across all sociodemographic groups with negative outcomes in multiple domains of health. Using a healing-centered engagement approach, health care providers can support healthy adolescent relationships and connect ARA survivors to resources and supports to ensure health and well-being. Essential components of health care support for adolescents experiencing ARA include validation of disclosure, assessing safety, a warm hand-off to advocacy resources, addressing immediate and long-term health needs, and connection to a trusted adult. Informing adolescents about limits of confidentiality and use of shared decision-making after ARA disclosure recognizes adolescents' lived experiences and emerging autonomy.

APA Citation

Jarvis, Lenore and Randell, Kimberly A., "The Health Care Provider's Role in Addressing Adolescent Relationship Abuse" (2023). GW Authored Works. Paper 4067.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/4067

Department

Pediatrics