'Shocking' Abuse of girls in Britain - sexually abused

• One in three teenage girls in Britain is sexually abused by their boyfriend, while a quarter are physically assaulted, a new report has revealed.
• More than 1,300 youngsters aged 13 to 17 took part in the survey for the report on abusive teenage relationships.
• Researchers from the University of Bristol supported by the NSPCC and Big Lottery Fund aimed to find out the incidence and impact of teen partner violence.
• They found nearly nine out of 10 girls have been in an intimate relationship.
• Of these, one in six said they had been pressured into having sex, while one in 16 said they had been raped.
• One in 17 boys revealed they had been forced to have sex, while one in five had experienced violence.
• One of the girls interviewed for the report - known only as 'Samantha' - said she was 14 years old when her boyfriend hit her.
• The teenager told researchers he became increasingly possessive, bombarding her phone with calls and text messages.
• After five months she decided to end the relationship with the boy, who was a year older than her - but the situation did not improve.
• "He started hanging around near our house and following me wherever I went," she said.
• "Then he got really nasty and began telling people we had had sex, which wasn't true."
• She said it was an upsetting experience and she had felt "pretty unhappy".
• "Finally there was a confrontation one day at school and he hit me in the face," she said.
• "It started a big fight because some of my friends were with me but fortunately staff managed to break it up."
• One of the report's authors, Professor David Berridge from the University of Bristol, said the high rate of violence in teenage relationships was appalling.
• "It was shocking to find that exploitation and violence in relationships starts so young," he said.
• "This is a serious issue that must be given higher priority by policymakers and professionals."
• The NSPCC called for schools to help raise awareness of harmful relationships and suggested anti-bullying groups take on a supportive role for victims.
• Diane Sutton, head of NSPCC policy and public affairs said: "Boys and girls are under immense peer pressure to behave in certain ways and this can lead to disrespectful and violent relationships, with girls often bearing the brunt.
• "Parents and schools can perform a vital role in teaching them about loving and safe relationships, and what to do if they are suffering from violence or abuse."

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