The Dating Abuse Statistics Everyone Should Know

If you thought violence wasn’t a problem for teen and young-adult romantic relationships, the following data might change your mind.

The Dating Abuse Statistics Everyone Should Know

Dating abuse can happen to anyone and can be seen throughout all grades and ages. Because of this, we split up these dating abuse statistics based on grade level.

In K-12 Schools:

  • Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year
  • One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence
  • One in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend
  • One-quarter of high school girls have been victims of physical or sexual abuse
  • Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence — almost triple the national average
  • About 72% of eighth and ninth graders are “dating”
  • Violent relationships in adolescence can have serious ramifications by putting the victims at higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior and further domestic violence.
  • Being physically or sexually abused makes teen girls six times more likely to become pregnant and twice as likely to get an STI.
  • Eight states currently do not include dating relationships in their definition of domestic violence. As a result, young victims of dating abuse often cannot apply for restraining orders.
  • Only 33% of teens who were in a violent relationship ever told anyone about the abuse.
  • Eighty-one percent of parents believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they don’t know if it’s an issue.
  • A teen’s confusion about the law and their desire for confidentiality are two of the most significant barriers stopping young victims of abuse from seeking help.

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About the Author

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Robin has been covering the security and campus law enforcement industries since 1998 and is a specialist in school, university and hospital security, public safety and emergency management, as well as emerging technologies and systems integration. She joined CS in 2005 and has authored award-winning editorial on campus law enforcement and security funding, officer recruitment and retention, access control, IP video, network integration, event management, crime trends, the Clery Act, Title IX compliance, sexual assault, dating abuse, emergency communications, incident management software and more. Robin has been featured on national and local media outlets and was formerly associate editor for the trade publication Security Sales & Integration. She obtained her undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Long Beach.

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