More than 1 in 3 Montreal teens has experienced relationship abuse, health authority warns

Public health officials are warning of a rise in the number of reports of violence — whether psychological, physical or sexual — in teenage relationships in Montreal.

In a report published by the health ministry and the Institut de la statistique du Québec on Thursday, 38 per cent of teenagers surveyed said they have lived through incidents of violence in their romantic relationships.

That’s significantly higher than the number of teens who reported such incidents when the same survey was conducted in 2010.

More than 5,800 Montreal teenagers from 92 high schools responded to the survey between October 2022 and May 2023.

About eight per cent of teens 14 and over also reported experiencing a non-consensual sexual experience. The proportion was higher in teenage girls.

Salomé Lemieux, a research officer with the Montreal regional health authority who authored the report, says, in general, girls were more likely to report incidents of violence.

“The data is concerning,” said Lemieux. “But we see boys also survived violence so it’s important to intervene with all youth.”

The report says it’s impossible to say whether this means there are actually more violent incidents taking place, or whether this is simply an indication teens are more comfortable reporting such cases.

It says the teens may feel more empowered to report the incidents because of the #MeToo movement that took the world by storm in 2017, and they may be more aware of what constitutes abuse.

Isolation brought on by the pandemic and the growing presence of technology may also be factors in the rise of violence, the report says.

For instance, teenagers can use social media and their cell phones to track and control their romantic partners, which is a form of abuse.

While the report describes teenage relationships as a healthy step in development, it says violence in teenage relationships can have a negative impact on the ways people approach their relationships in adulthood.

This can also have a detrimental impact on the mental and physical health of teens, as well as their academic performance, the reports says.

Lemieux says early childhood intervention is crucial in improving mental, physical and sexual health in teens and therefore in preventing further violent incidents when they reach adulthood.

“It’s important to educate them, starting in early childhood, on how to manage their emotions, how to manage conflicts they might face with their friends,” she said.

This is also important in building self-esteem to prevent abuse in adulthood, she added.

While prevention programs already exist in schools and community settings, the report says consistent government funding also needs to be put in place.