Teen dating violence, also known as adolescent relationship abuse, is a serious, widespread issue that has both short- and long-term consequences. Teen dating violence may occur in-person or electronically and consists of physical, psychological, or sexual abuse, as well as stalking. A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that “8 percent of high school students reported physical violence and 7 percent reported that they experienced sexual violence from a dating partner in the 12 months before the survey.” The CDC also noted that teenagers who experience dating violence are more prone to depression and anxiety, may turn to using tobacco, drugs, and alcohol, and are more at risk of victimization in adulthood.
For more information and to learn about strategies for decreasing the prevalence of teen dating violence, check out the following resources:
- CDC’s Intimate Partner Violence Webpages
- Dating Matters®: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships
- CDC’s Technical Packages for Violence Prevention
- National Criminal Justice Reference Service’s list of federal and federally supported resources, including information on sexual violence from the Office on Violence Against Women and resources for child welfare professionals from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- National Resource Center on Domestic Violence’s Online Special Collection: Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence, which emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of and response to teen violence and includes resources for youth, parents, educators, health care professionals, and more.