You Can Stop it Before it Starts
Teen Dating Violence–You Can Stop It Before It Starts
According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice presented on a Family Violence Prevention Fund Teen Program fact sheet, young women age 16 to 25 experience the highest rates of rape and sexual assault in the nation.
National Prevalence of Teen Dating Violence
- Approximately one in three adolescent girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner – a figure that far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence affecting youth.
- Nationwide, nearly one in ten high-school students (8.9 percent) has been hit, slapped or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend.
- Nearly one in three sexually active adolescent girls in ninth to twelfth grade (31.5 percent) report ever experiencing physical or sexual violence from dating partners.
Other related issues of concern are the inability of some teens to deal adequately with the pressure they experience from their partners who may be pushing for behaviors which they find uncomfortable or unsafe, and/or sexual harassment or stalking. In addition fewer than 1 in 3 teens feel that they can talk to their parents if they are in an abusive relationship.
Young women who are victims of dating violence are more likely than their non victimized peers to engage in unhealthy behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, risky sex, and even suicide. They are also at higher risk for sexually transmitted disease and unplanned pregnancies.
Next Door’s Teen Programs support teenage youth exposed to DV and/or who are at risk of developing abusive relationships. The Programs provide leadership opportunities, field trips, and support groups to address the violence in the lives of young people, and drop in support for teen victims of dating violence.
Next Door offers teen workshops at 6 distinct community sites in Santa Clara County, drop in support for victims of dating violence, and dating violence education and support groups for teens. 75% of Teen Support Group participants who have completed the groups are able to identify ways to make healthy choices with regard to their relationships, thus enabling them to live happier lives free from abusive partners.
For more information please call the Next Door office at (408) 501-7550, or our 24-Hour Hotline- (408) 279-2962 if you are currently in a violent relationship.
Other Teen Dating Violence Prevention Resources
Family Violence Prevention Fund Teen Program
