Teens, Technology, and Cyberstalking: The Domestic Violence Wave of the Future?

Abstract

The American criminal justice system, (therefore), is facing a future domestic violence crisis. Unfortunately, authorities-both parents and law enforcement-tend to minimize the seriousness of violence within adolescent relationships and to minimize the seriousness of stalking. In addition, given the prevalence and embrace of technology by teenagers, criminalizing normal teenage behavior seems counter-productive. While an effective criminal justice system response to this problem has yet to be developed, the first step will be for parents and law enforcement to recognize the risk and take it seriously. The second step will be to renorm unhealthy teenage relationship norms. It is possible that the very embrace of technology might hold a solution. With guidance, the power of social networking may provide an effective counter to the isolation and imbalance of the domestic violence relationship. The combination of these steps might help avert this domestic violence crisis. Section II of this article will explore the dynamics and intersection of the domestic violence relationship, stalking, and technology. Section III will examine teenage identity formation, teenage use of technology, the incorporation of technology into teenagers\u27 identity formation and relationships, and the prevalence of teenage domestic violence. Section IV will explore the potential consequences of current technology use in teenagers\u27 intimate relationships. Section V will propose possible solutions to the burgeoning crisis in America\u27s efforts to combat domestic violence

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