February 06, 2018
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. According to a study funded by the National Institute of Justice, 69 percent of youths aged 12 to 18 who were in a relationship or had been in one in the past year reported that they had been victimized, while 63 percent reported that they had perpetrated violence.
For more information and to learn about strategies for decreasing the prevalence of teen dating violence, check out the following resources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Understanding Teen Dating Violence” fact sheet.
- 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.