Get Informed
Teen dating violence does not occur in a vacuum. It is the result of social attitudes and practices that normalize unhealthy behaviors in interpersonal relationships. Adolescents are often pressured to conform to masculine or feminine gender roles that reinforce unequal power and control between dating partners. Peers, family, adults, media, and personal experiences can directly or indirectly condone the use of abuse.
Without adequate information and support, teens are likely to continue the cycle of violence into their adult lives. By preventing and intervening in abusive relationships in adolescence, we can help ensure a healthier future for our youth. Adolescence is a crucial opportunity to reinforce attitudes about equality and respect in relationships.
Statistics
In california, 8 percent of 11th graders were victims of physical abuse by a dating partner. Among adult women in the state, 34 percent reported being a victim of partner violence in a Blue Shield of California Foundation survey
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, 23 percent of women in the United States experience intimate partner violence before they turn 18. Young women between 16 and 24 have the highest rate of abuse by a partner, compared to all other age groups. Nearly one in nine teen girls experience physical abuse from a dating partner. For 11 million female victims of rape, the attack occurred before they were 18. This is also true for about 1.5 million male victims.
Youth ages 16 to 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence of any age group - a rate nearly triple the national average.
Younger adolescents are also at risk: a recent study found significant levels of abusive behavior in "tween" (ages 11 to 14) dating relationships, and teens report that abusive behavior increases dramatically in the later teen years.
Source:
According to national statistics, about one third of high school and college-age students report they have been in a physically abusive relationship.
One in six seventh-grade students reported being a victim of physical abuse at the hands of a boyfriend or girlfriend, according to a national study conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for Blue Shield of California.
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