Feature Story Final Draft

     For as long as there have been relationships between two people, there has always been one partner who takes advantage of the other. While not all relationships suffer this problem, it is very common. According to WebMD, relationship abuse has been showing up more often in teen relationships since 2000.
     There is a young couple; around 16 year’s old, sitting at McDonalds eating their Big Mac and Fish Filet meals. The teenage boy, while enjoying his Big Mac, notices there is no ketchup on his sandwich
Relationship abuse is when one person uses a pattern of behavior through means of physical, verbal, or sexual intimidation to gain power and control of their partner. Relationships are no easy subject to understand; whether healthy, or abusive.
     Melva Hall, a counselor at Sierra High School, spends all day every day with more than a thousand teenagers. She says in her years as a counselor, she has seen every type of problem a teenager can run into, including relationship abuse. Hall says she has helped teenagers deal with the issue, and overcome the obstacles the students face.
     “Relationship abuse is extremely serious,” Hall says. “Most people believe that abuse is only physical, but when it comes to teenage relationships, it is almost nearly always emotional and mental.”
     According to Hall, mental and emotional abuse are the biggest problems teens are faced with when it comes to relationships.
     Many teenagers either do not realize the affect of the abuse, or they are afraid to get help. Hall says that some teenagers are even embarrassed to bring up the subject in fear of their peers opinions and thoughts.
Abuse, however, is a matter that should be handle immediately, and should be confronted as soon as the problem begins.
     “Just because they pretend and appear happy doesn’t mean they are,” said Hall. “Relationships can be a very positive thing in school as long as both partners understand what it means to be in a healthy relationship.”
There are key differences between a healthy and an abusive teen relationship, which allows someone to distinguish one from the other, and recognize when a teenager is the victim of abuse.
     According to WebMD, in a healthy relationship both partners work towards the relationship equally and contribute an equal amount of opinions and solutions to the relationship. There is also a system of checks and balances combined with equality, individuality, and compromise.
     An abusive relationship is the exact opposite of that of a healthy one. One partner takes advantage of the goals of the relationship and uses them against their partner as a way to manipulate them into doing what they want. There is little to no compromise, forced inequality, and your individuality is taken from you.
     According to KidsHealth.org, in the U.S alone, 33 percent of teens report some kind of abuse while 12 percent of teens report physical abuse. The majority, if not all of teen relationship abuse, is related to extreme possessiveness and jealousy.
     Like adult domestic violence, teen relationship abuse affects all types of teens, regardless of how much money their parents make, what their grades are, how they look or dress, their religion, or their race. Anyone can be a victim of teen relationship abuse, both boys and girls. The abuse also occurs in all types of relationships; whether heterosexual, gay, or lesbian.
     Hall says while no relationship starts off abusive, in fact, most relationships start out like fairy tales, full of love and affection. Over time the problem gradually builds until it escalates out of control, and one person ends up on the wrong side of the bullet.
     “People need to be more aware of relationship abuse. The problem isn’t that teenagers are having relationships, the problem is that most teenagers don’t know what exactly a relationship is,” Hall Says.             “Nothing can bring a smile to your face then a truly happy young couple lost in love.”

Feature Writing Story: Primary Post

Topic: Teen Relationship Abuse

The story will be addressing the topic of teen relationship abuse. What abuse is, and why the abuse takes place. I will also try to describe how to recognize when abuse is taking place.

Primary Angle: Mrs. Hall (Counselor)