intro | bibliography | music video contest | programs | webliography

Teens, Dating, and Emotional and Physical Abuse

(April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month)

Teen Fiction

Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti
Y FIC Cal
In the summer of her junior year, sixteen-year-old Ruby McQueen and her mother, both nursing broken hearts, set out on a journey to reunite an elderly woman with her long-lost love and in the process learn many things about "the real ties that bind" people to one another.

Dreamland: A Novel by Sarah Dessen
Y FIC Des
After her older sister runs away, sixteen-year-old Caitlin decides that she needs to make a major change in her own life and begins an abusive relationship with a boy who is mysterious, brilliant, and dangerous.

Who Am I Without Him? Short Stories About Girls and the Boys in Their Lives by Sharon Flake
Y SS Fla
There is "The Ugly One," whose only solace comes when she is locked inside her own head. In "Wanted: A Thug," a teenager seeks advice on how to steal her best friend's bad-guy boyfriend. And then there's Erika, who only likes white boys. Sharon Flake takes readers through the minds of young African American women trying to define themselves while struggling to remain relevant to the young men in their lives.

Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
Y Fic Fli
People think Nick's life is easy, but he has never spoken of his father's violent temper. But when Nick meets Caitlin, everything changes. And Nick must face the fact that he's gotten more from his father than green eyes and money.

Playing in Traffic by Gail Giles
Y Fic Gil
Shy and unremarkable, seventeen-year-old Matt Lathrop is surprised and flattered to find himself singled out for the sexual attentions of the alluring Skye Colbly, until he discovers the evil purpose behind her actions.

Letting Go of Bobby James, or How I Found Myself of Steam by Valerie Hobbs
Y Fic Hob
After being left by her husband at a gas station in Florida, sixteen-year-old Sally Jo Walker, also known as Jody, makes some difficult decisions and a better life for herself. At turns heart-wrenching and funny, Valerie Hobbs's latest novel introduces readers to an unforgettable and surprising young woman who manages to break free of an abusive relationship and finds true strength and her "self of steam."

Things Change by Patrick Jones
Y Fic Jon
Sixteen-year-old Johanna, one of the best students in her class, develops a passionate attachment for troubled seventeen-year-old Paul and finds her plans for the future changing in unexpected ways.

Brave New Girl by Louisa Luna
Y Fic Lun
Doreen's sister's boyfriend intimidates her into keeping quiet his sexually abusive relationship with Doreen.

Past Forgiving by Gloria Miklowitz
Y Fic Mik
Fifteen-year-old Alexandra finds that her boyfriend Cliff demands all her time, isolates her with his jealousy, and finally becomes physically abusive.

A Dance for Three by Louise Plummer
Y Fic Plu
When fifteen-year-old Hannah becomes pregnant and her rich, popular boyfriend claims he is not responsible, she is forced to face some hard facts about her life.

Someone to Love Me (Bluford High Series) by Anne Schraff
Y Fic Sch
This story is about Cindy Gibson, a Bluford freshman who struggles with a stormy relationship with her mother, ongoing trouble at school, a dangerous boyfriend, and worse.

Leslie's Journal: A Novel by Allan Stratton
Y Fic Str
Fifteen-year-old Leslie hides her lack of sexual experience behind a provocative facade of micro-mini-skirts and fishnet stockings. She talks tough, skips school, and dabbles in drugs, but her journal reveals her vulnerable side. Stinging from her parents' divorce and fearful of losing her well-behaved best friend, Leslie falls for an older boy, Jason, who reels her into a terrifying world of date rape, abuse, and blackmail.

Fault Line by Janet Tashjian
Y Fic Tas
When seventeen-year-old Becky Martin, an aspiring comic, meets Kip Costello, she is caught in a mentally and physically abusive relationship.

Teen Nonfiction

Date Rape: A Hot Issue by Kathleen Winkler
362.883 Wi
Discusses the myths and facts surrounding acquaintance or date rape (of both men and women), the physical and psychological consequences, ways to stay safe, and what to do if sexually assaulted.

Dating Violence: Young Women in Danger by Barrie Levy
362.88 Da
Levy sets the stage in this effective collection with a concise introduction and 20 brief but powerful first-person accounts from abused teens or their mothers.

Everything You Need to Know About Abusive Relationships by Nancy N. Rue
J 306.73 Ru
Abusive behavior is often learned at a young age and usually surfaces in adolescence when teens try to exert physical or sexual power over their boyfriends or girlfriends. Rue advises victims and abusers on how to get help.

Everything You Need to Know About Date Rape by Frances Shuker-Haines
J 362.88 Sh
Eighty percent of all reported rapes occur between people who know each other. This book explains date rape and helps teens learn how to prevent it from happening.

Everything You Need to Know About Dealing with Sexual Assault by Laura Kaminker
J 364.153 Ka
Discusses the myths and facts surrounding sexual assault and rape, the physical and psychological consequences, suggests ways to stay safe, and explains what to do if sexually assaulted.

Everything You Need to Know About Healing from Rape Trauma by Cheryl Branch Coppin
J 362.883 Co
Many popular misconceptions about rape exist, and many of these myths do further damage to victims of sexual assault who are trying to heal. In this book, Coppin clearly explains the definition of rape and rape trauma, the possible consequences of rape, the process of recovery, and the legal rights of sexual assault victims.

Everything You Need to Know About Relationship Violence by Katherine White
J 306.73 Wh
Relationship violence is all too common today, whether between parent and child or teens involved in an abusive relationship. The author shows examples of how seemingly innocent behavior can grow into abuse, and gives concrete advice to teens on how to break the vicious cycle and put an end to the violence.

Everything You Need to Know About Sexual Abuse by Evan Stark, Ph.D.
J 362.704 St
Sexual abuse is a crime that hurts its victims physically and emotionally. This volume defines sexual abuse and explains what teens can do if it happens to them or their friends.

In Love and In Danger: A Teen's Guide to Breaking Free of Abusive Relationships by Barrie Levy
J 306.73 Le
Describes the experiences of teens who have had abusive dating relationships and gives advice on how to end the cycle of abuse and forge healthy and loving, violence-free relationships.

This book is also available in Spanish:

Jóvenes, Enamorados y en Peligro: Una Guía Para Adolescentes Para Librarse de Una Relación Abusiva by Barrie Levy
J 306.73 Le SPA