SHOCK: 1 IN 5 TEEN GIRLS HIT BY BOYFRIEND
A FIFTH of teenage girls have been hit by their boyfriends, a survey revealed yesterday.
And nearly a half - 43 per cent - thought it was okay for a boy to get angry and violent.
Of 2,000 girls questioned, 16 per cent had been struck by their partner at least once, four per cent had been attacked regularly and 15 per cent had been pushed.
The NSPCC, which carried out the survey with teen magazine Sugar, said the figures were especially worrying because they showed a clear link between girls being attacked at home then being hit by their boyfriends.
Some 32 per cent of girls thumped by their boyfriends had been struck by their parents.
The charity's Wes Cuell said: "This survey reveals a generation of girls many of whom are growing up believing that aggression is an acceptable part of life."
He added: "Women will often make excuses for the man's behaviour in domestic violence cases.
"If girls are growing up hearing that sort of justification it's possible they will think it's a valid reason.
"It's highly likely to be a learning process and it's a great concern for the future. There's a real issue about self-worth here."
Some six per cent of the girls aged 13-19, whose average age was 15, had been forced to have sex by a boyfriend.
A third of the girls questioned had experienced some domestic violence or abuse at home. Thirty one per cent regularly beaten by their boyfriends had seen their parents hit each other.
Overall 20 per cent had been hit by their parents, 11 per cent had seen their parents beat each other and 25 per cent had witnessed them screaming and shouting at their partners.
More than half of the youngsters questioned did not view any of these incidents as domestic violence.
Mums are more likely to shout at their kids, while dads are more likely to hit.
Nearly half of parents who hit each other hit their children.
More than two thirds of the girls hit by boyfriends stayed with them - a fifth ignored the abuse altogether. Some 31 per cent thought it was okay for a boy to be violent if his girlfriend had been cheating on him.
Sugar's editor Annabel Brog said: "This paints a frightening picture of domestic violence.
"Girls need to know that nobody has the right to hurt them, to scare them or abuse them in any way, and that there are people out there who can listen and help them."
16%HAVE BEEN HIT BY THEIR PARTNER AT LEAST ONCE
31%THOUGHT BEING HIT WAS ACCEPTABLE
4%HAVE BEEN ATTACKED ON A REGULAR BASIS
31%OF GIRLS HIT HAVE SEEN PARENTS HIT EACH OTHER
Mirror
