Lawyers Manual - Unified Court System

388 Stephanie Nilva and Kristine Herman
might identify more with the abuser as a peer than she would with her parents.
As with victims of all ages, a young person may simply be confused by her
emotional attachment to the abuser.
Other Influences
In young victims of domestic violence, the developmental tasks, such as
boundary-testing, and the underdeveloped cognitive skills (i.e., concrete
thinking versus more abstract thinking skills) create substantial challenges.
Teens may not understand that legal and social services may be needed. They
may feel enormous social pressure from peers to continue the relationship. Peer
pressure strongly influences teens, and the social status associated with having a
boyfriend — or dating someone particularly popular who might confer special
social status — can be highly valued. Also, parents may support the relationship
if they refuse to acknowledge the abuse, are unaware of the violence, or believe
the abuser to be a good match for religious or cultural reasons.
In some cases, your young client will have an abusive partner who is
substantially older than she is. For a teen, a partner who has graduated from high
school or is employed may give her the impression of being much older or more
mature. The age difference may increase the control your client feels is being
exercised over her; she may feel that her abuser, as an adult, will always be able
to find her and hurt her. The influence of an older partner, who may have an
apartment, job, or car, also can exacerbate the difficulties a young person faces.
His access to resources can create conflicting feelings and make her feel as if she
would be giving up something of great value if she were to leave. When the
perpetrator is also a teen, you may confront challenges such as denial and
minimization of the abuse by adults in the young victim’s life, who mistakenly
believe the young abuser is not dangerous. In these cases, in which parental and
family support is absent, assisting your client will become more difficult.
Advocacy Tips
Once you begin meeting with your client, certain techniques will help you
build trust and serve your young clients. Making every effort to support the
autonomy of your clients will be an important element in assisting teens and
young adults. When teenagers experience controlling and abusive behavior by
an intimate partner during this complex stage, greater sensitivity is required
from advocates, who will be perceived as authority figures. Incorporating
practices that foster independence can contribute to the healing process.