By Grace Rubenstein We think of domestic violence as something
that happens among adults. But as some young survivors from
Contra Costa County recently told me, abuse is also alarmingly
common between teen boyfriends and girlfriends. Evidence has
been growing that it starts even younger than we previously
imagined. A study published in March surveyed more than 1,400
seventh graders of diverse races. More than one in three
reported being psychologically abused by a boyfriend or
girlfriend within the past six months. Nearly one in three
reported experiencing physical dating violence within the same
timeframe. Their average age? 12. The study was commissioned by
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Blue Shield of
California. Revelations like that are slowly making the long-
hidden problem of teen dating abuse more visible – especially at
schools, ground zero for teen romance. Shocking events like the
murder of 17-year-old Cindi Santana, stabbed by her ex-boyfriend
on campus at her Los Angeles high school last S