The weight of “Puppy Love”: why teen dating violence is a community crisis
•March 11, 2026•
by Rebecca Comstock
Moultrie County Dove Inc. Coordinator
In my six years as the Moultrie County Coordinator for Dove Inc., I have walked alongside countless teenagers facing situations that would shatter most adults. I have seen the fear in a high schooler’s eyes that is identical to the fear of a thirty-year old spouse.
There is a persistent, dangerous myth in our community that teen dating violence is somehow “lesser” than adult domestic abuse. We call it “drama.” We call it “high school heartbreak.” We tell ourselves they will “grow out of it.”