Liz Claiborne

Liz Claiborne Inc. Survey

A recent survey was conducted in February 2008 by the Liz Claibourne Inc and loveisrespect.org to collect data on tween and teen dating abuse and violence. The survey also took into account the amount of knowledge parents of preteens had about their children’s relationships. Below is a summary of the their results.

>Nearly half of all tweens (47% of 1,043)—and more than one in three 11-to 12-yearolds(37%) [not charted]—say they have been in a boyfriend/girlfriendrelationship.

>Nearly three in four tweens (72%) say dating relationships begin by age 14.

> Amazingly, more than one in four kids and parents say sexual activity is part of tween dating relationships.

Roughly one in three tweens (37%) and parents (31%) say touching and feeling up is part of a dating relationship.

Oral sex is said by 27% of tweens and 26% of parents to be a part of tween relationships.

More than one in four tweens (28%) and parents (26%) also say that having sex (going all the way) is a part of tween relationships.

> Although many parents of tweens in a relationship consider sex to be a part of a tween relationships, only 7% of them believe that their own child has gone further than kissing or making out.

• The majority of these parents (59%) realize their tween has kissed a dating partner—and 17% know that their child made out with someone.

Here is a summary of the suvey's results explained by Weingartner (2008).

1. Dating relationships start younger than expected: nearly half of 11- to 14-year olds have been in a dating relationship.

2. A surprising number of both tweens and parents of tweens consider sex as part of tween dating relationships -- however, it is also noted that most of these parents do not believe that it is their own child who is having sex.

3. The survey revealed a clear difference in what Tweens were telling their parents and what parents “believed” their Tweens were telling them.

4. Parents failed to recognize or even understand that children in dating relationships were experiencing problems like bullying and pressure into performing sex.

5. Although most parents discuss relationships with their tweens, they seem to not recognize what was realy going on in tween relationships today.