Dating abuse is solely about power and control. It is about maintaining power and control over how another person thinks feels or acts. Often times we only think about dating abuse as physical (like a black eye), however dating abuse is much more than that. There are many forms of abuse including physical, verbal, sexual, spiritual, emotional, financial, property, animal, and electronic…and ALL abuse is psychologically damaging.
An alarming number of teenage girls are controlled or abused by the time they graduate from high school. Both males and females can be victims of dating abuse. Girls are more likely to use verbal abuse, pinch, slap, scratch, kick, or threaten to hurt themselves. Boys are more likely to engage in both verbal and physical violence often more frequently and severely than girls. Teen dating violence affects all race, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
- 40% of teenage girls know someone their age who have been hit or beaten by their boyfriend.
- 1 in 3 teen dating relationships experience physical aggression including hitting, punching, kicking, slapping.
- Young women ages 16-24 experience the highest rates of relationship violence.
- 80% of all girls who have been physically abused in their relationship continue to date their abuser.
- Teen dating violence most often takes place in the home of one of the partners.
- 58% of rape victims report being raped between the ages of 12-24.
- Half of the reported date rapes occur among teenagers.
- A survey of adolescent and college students revealed that date rape accounted for 67% of sexual assaults.
- 6 out of 10 rapes of young women occur in their own home or a friend or relatives home, not in a dark alley.
- 20% of surveyed male students report witnessing someone they go to high school with physically hit a person they were dating.
- 57% of teens know someone who has been physically, sexually, or verbally abusive in a dating relationship.
- 45% of girls know a friend or peer who has been pressured into either intercourse or oral sex.
- Male peer support for violence against women is a constant predictor of male violence within middle school.
- Patterns of dating violence behavior often start early and carry through into adult relationships.
- A majority of parents (54%) admit theyʼve not spoken to their child about dating violence.
- Only 33% of teens who were in an abusive relationship ever told anyone about the abuse.
- 81% of parents surveyed either believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they donʼt know if it is an issue.
- 83% of 10th graders surveyed said they would rather talk or confide in a friend with help regarding dating abuse rather than a counselor, parent, teacher or the law.
- Intimate partner violence among adolescents is associated with increased risk of substance use, unhealthy weight control behaviors, sexual risk behaviors, pregnancy, and suicide.
- 33% of teens have actually witnessed dating violence.
- Violent relationships in adolescence can carry over to their adult relationships resulting in a higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, and suicide.
- 86% of female high school students said they would confide in a friend if they were in a controlling relationship while only 7% said they would talk to police.