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I want to buy my preteen a pair of headphones, but I don't want them to damage her hearing in the long-run.
I teach her not to listen to music too loud, but just in case, are there certain types of headphones that are scientifically proven to be safer than others, assuming they're used at the same volume level? (eg. noise-cancelling vs. not, tight vs. loose, whatever else)
Since your child is older, it is best to teach them to listen responsibly, since you will not be able to control what headphones they use in the long run. Some iPods and iOS devices have volume limiting options built into the software. You might try this before investing in a new set of headphones. http://www.howtogeek.com/224491/how-to-volume-limit-your-iphone-ipod-and-other-apple-devices-and-save-your-kids-hearing/
I researched many volume limiting headphones for my Pre-K aged kids, and finally settled on LilGadgets brand, which were not to quiet and not too loud. (Another brand I tried was too hard to hear on an airplane.) The LilGadgets were also easy to adjust and were relatively comfortable even for a grown-up. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Q3I690I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
There is no way to turn off the volume limiter on these headphones. Also, they can be chained together with any other headphones, so multiple people can listen to the same thing. It's a nice way to share music or a video with your child.
What you need is a set with a built in volume limiter. Many children specific sets have this feature, some more effective than others. A quick Google turned up this roundup review of children's headphones from PCAdvisor http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/feature/audio/best-headphones-for-kids-3460018/
Unfortunately this is not actually possible. That 'scientifically proven' bit is not true.
The problem is that if you play loud noises into the ear, you will begin to damage the ear. Headphones and earphones are much closer to the ear so the noise levels felt by the ear are much louder than you may expect.
The only safe way to use earphones is to play them at a sensible volume. Which is why various mp3 devices come with a volume limiter. None actually stop you overriding the limiter, but require you to make a couple of extra selections.
So the solution is education and awareness. In the UK the Musician's Union publish a lot of information on this, and they provide free annual ear tests to musicians. If in any doubt, I'd suggest getting your daughter along to an equivalent session, or perhaps visit an ENT department at your local hospital - they will have horror stories that would turn anyone away from loud noises.
