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13 www.officer.com April 2014 Law Enforcement Technology I N V E S T I G AT I O N S F ebruary was Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Whether you're a school resource officer or responding as a patrol officer or detective to a complaint by a young victim, parent, counselor, or other concerned individual, remember that much of the evidence you need may be on both victim's and suspect's mobile devices. In its 2013 "Technology, Teen Dating Violence and Abuse, and Bullying" survey, the Urban Institute referred to a 2010 study that showed various forms of abuse via electronic communications: ■ Monitoring the whereabouts of a partner or controlling their activities by telling them what (or what not) to do, wear, say, visit, etc. ■ Emotional aggression toward a partner ■ Seeking help from third parties during a violent episode ■ Not responding to calls, texts, and other contacts (a manipulative behavior) ■ Reestablishing contact after a violent episode Not all, of course, are criminal. Taken together, though, they can reveal a pattern of behavior that can be part of a broader pattern of criminal harassment, stalking, or other abuse. They can also contain evidence of actual crimes, including physical and/ or sexual assault, sextortion, and cyber bullying. The Urban Institute's study also reported: ■ Twenty-six percent of youth in a rela- tionship, and 18 percent of all youth (defined as ages 12 to 17) said they were the victim of some form of cyber dating abuse in the prior year. This rate was even higher, at 37 percent, among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgen- der and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. ■ Cyber dating abuse occurred at a rate comparable to that of physical dating violence, and twice as often as sexual coercion. ■ Although cyber dating abuse occurred about half as often as psychological dating abuse, it also overlapped the most with psychological dating abuse, as 84 percent of cyber dating abuse victims also reported psychological dating abuse victimization. Further, cyber dating abuse and cyber bully- ing experiences also overlap, for both victims and perpetrators. ■ Fifty-two percent of cyber dating abuse victims also reported physical dating violence, while 33 percent reported sexual coercion victimization. ■ Fifteen percent reported they were the victim of social media-based cru- elty in the year prior to the study. The Urban Institute concluded that "few victims of teen dating violence and abuse and/or bullying seek help." Those who do, by inference, may redact their complaints or be reluctant to move for- ward. That makes obtaining evidence up front all the more important. Teen dating violence investigations: Don't ignore the cellphone B Y C H R I S T A M . M I L L E R LET_13-15_TeenDating0414.indd 13 3/20/14 9:12 AM