Teen Dating Violence

• On the average, about 1 of every 3 high school and college students are, or have been in the past, involved in an abusive dating relationship.
• Dating violence includes physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
• Both males and females are the perpetrators of violent acts in dating relationships.  It is the girls, however, who are injured more often during dating violence.
• Dating violence crosses all socioeconomic, racial, religious, and ethnic groups.
• Dating violence usually occurs during the weekends.
• Between 73% and 90% of violent incidents occur in private settings outside the view of others.
• Dating violence most often takes place in the home of one of the partners or their parents.
• When dating violence does occur in public, attempts to intervene occur less than half the time.
• Jealousy is the leading cause of dating violence.
• Uncontrollable anger is the second leading cause of dating violence.
• Only 1 out of every 25 victims of dating violence ever seeks help from a teacher, minister, rabbi, police officer or counselor.
• Only about 4 out of 10 relationships end after the onset of violence and abuse.
• Many teens report that their relationship actually got better after the abuse began.  As many as half of the dating violence victims equate violence with love.