Talk With Your Kids About Dating Violence

A Fond du Lac Police officer says parents shouldn’t have to worry about talking about dating violence before their kids start dating, but it is something they should do. Officer Erik Foster says kids aren’t ready to cope with physical, emotional or sexual violence and may not have to, but they could run into stalking or harassment issues. He says, “When something is happening that is making them uncomfortable, it is giving them anxiety, it is causing depression, if it doesn’t feel right they need to understand they have to talk to a parent, they have to talk to an adult and they need to get themselves out of that situation.” Foster tells us things can turn physically violent if the person your kid is dating is controlling them. He says, “A lot of times that psychological, emotional abuse ends up turning physical at some point and it happens a lot more often than I think parents understand.” Foster says your kid may not want to have a talk with you about dating violence but it let’s them know you are available if they need to talk.