It’s not a shock to hear that teens are dating. But just how many of them are, in fact, dating? And how many of those dating relationships are categorized as teen dating violence? The following teen dating violence statistics might shock you, but it’s important to know them.

Personally, as a student, I’d never imagined that teens could be victims of “domestic violence.” It’s why for years, as a victim, I had no idea that I was experiencing abuse. Then, I had a class on domestic violence in college. A guest speaker came in, and there it was – my life on a PowerPoint slide. I’d experienced textbook dating abuse. This cause then became my mission, and I quickly learned just how many teens were affected.

These statistics demonstrate just how prevalent teen dating violence is, and why we should be concerned. To protect youth from harm, we have to fully understand the issues they face. And that begins with awareness…

Let’s dive in… teen dating violence statistics

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statistics

Youth Dating in General

It’s hard to know just exactly how many teens are “dating.” The research is pretty inconclusive, likely because there’s no real definition of what “dating” actually is. Today’s teens live in a technological world. Where one teen might consider online dating an official dating relationship, another may not. 

As far as dating per age group, there’s little research or statistics here too. Yet, for what it’s worth, I poll my youth audiences every time I speak. I’ll ask: How many of you have a friend in your grade who’s dating? Nearly every hand goes up. 

But for stats’ sake, here’s two studies I often share when training adults: 

• One study conducted across major cities found that 3 in 4 seventh graders reported that they had a boyfriend or girlfriend. (This is 75%!!). 1
• Further, a Massachusetts study found that 63% of middle school students reported that they had gone out on a date. 2

So all variables aside, the point is that kids are dating – and they’re starting even younger than we think. However, youth typically know little to nothing about dating, and what results is a whole boatload of unhealthy stuff.

The Disturbing Prevalence of Teen Dating Violence

• In the U.S. 1 in 3 teens will experience abuse by a dating partner. 4

Pause! Stop for a second, because I want to put this into perspective for you. This is 33% of any school population. Got a school of 1,000 kids? We’re talking 333 of them. Okay, continue…

• Teens experience dating violence at higher rates than any other demographic. 3
• While all genders are affected, girls and young women experience dating violence at almost triple the national average. 3
• One study found that 1 in 3 teens admitted to committing acts of relationship violence themselves. 5
• A 2017 study found that 8% of students who were dating had experienced physical dating violence. 6
• 1 in 5 high school students know a friend who is in an abusive relationship. 7
• Among all youth, 15.5 million U.S. children have witnessed intimate partner violence at least once in a given year. 8

There’s a Major Lack of Awareness

• 81% parents believe that teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they don’t know if it’s an issue. 9
• While 82% of parents feel confident they could recognize the signs if their child was experiencing abuse, a majority (58%) could not correctly identify all the warning signs. 10
• Schools are also under-informed. A survey of high school Principals found that the majority could not answer 4 out of 9 questions on a teen dating violence knowledge scale. The majority also reported that they did not receive training on teen dating violence, nor did they conduct any recent trainings for teachers and staff. 11

Concerned Yet? Teen Dating Violence is Also a Root Cause for Serious Secondary Risks and Consequences

• Only 33% of teens in a violent relationship ever tell anyone about the abuse (i.e. the majority won’t ever get help). 12
• Witnessing and/or experiencing violence has been associated with decreased school attendance and academic performance. 13
• Teens in abusive relationships are at higher risk for substance abuse. They are more likely than their peers to smoke, use drugs, or drink. 14, 15
• Teens in abusive relationships are at higher risk for eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, depression, suicidal ideations/attempts, and further domestic violence. 14, 15
• Being physically or sexually abused makes teen girls six times more likely to become pregnant and twice as likely to get a STD. 16
• Half of youth who have been victims of both dating violence and rape attempt suicide, compared to 12.5% of non-abused girls and 5.4% of non-abused boys. 17

Conclusion + What To Do

The numbers are devastating. Youth should be growing and thriving, yet so many are instead consumed by unhealthy, abusive dating relationships. Worse, these relationships lead to serious secondary risks. Further, the majority of adults who are present have little to no clue about this issue, nor do they know how to respond, prevent, or address it.

By not addressing or prioritizing dating violence prevention, communities are performing a disservice to youth. It’s critical to teach youth healthy life-long relationship skills, personal advocacy and leadership, and warning signs to avoid harm. It’s also critical to teach adults what warning signs to recognize, and how to offer help.

If this bothers you, my challenge to you is to take action. Call your area schools. Ask what they’re doing. Urge them to do more. If no one’s sure how or where to even begin, I can help.

 

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Have questions? Need support? Drop a comment below or ask me.

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About: Ashley Bendiksen is an expert in domestic violence, teen dating violence, and sexual assault prevention, as well as transforming after abuse. She is a top youth motivational speaker, leadership speaker, and survivor speaker. She also coaches survivors of abuse 1:1. Ashley offers presentations for schools/colleges and educational conferences. She also offers professional development for first responders, victim services providers, and workplaces. Request Ashley to speak.

 

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Sources for Teen Dating Violence Statistics

1 Child Trends. (2019). Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of American Youth, 1976-2017. Dating. Retrieved from https://www.childtrends.org/indicators/dating.

2 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Health and Risk Behaviors of Massachusetts Youth, 2013. Available at http://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/yrbs/

3 Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice and Statistics, Intimate Partner Violence in the United States, 1993-2004. Dec. 2006.

4 Davis, Antoinette, MPH. 2008. Interpersonal and Physical Dating Violence among Teens. The National Council on Crime and Delinquency Focus. Available at http://www.nccd-crc.org/nccd/pubs/2008_focus_teen_dating_violence.pdf.

5 “National Rates of Adolescent Physical, Psychological, and Sexual Teen-Dating Violence,” Michele Ybarra PhD, MPH, Center for Innovative Public Health Research; Dorothy L. Espelage, PhD University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne; Jennifer Langhinrichsen-Rohling, PhD, University of South Alabama; Josephine D. Korchmaros, PhD, University of Arizona; Danah Boyd, PhD, New York University; and Kathleen Basile, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

6 Centers for Disease Control, Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Data Summary and Trends Report, 2007-2017. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/trendsreport.pdf

7 Tween and Teen Dating Violence and Abuse Study, Teenage Research Unlimited for Liz Claiborne Inc. and the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline. February 2008. Available at http://loveisnotabuse.com/c/document_library/get_file?p_l_id=45693&folderId=72612&name=DLFE203.pdf

8 McDonald, R, Jouriles, E, Ramisetty-Mikler, S. et al. 2006. Estimating the Number of American Children Living in Partner-Violent Families. Journal of Family Psychology 20(1): 137-142. 

9 “Women’s Health,” June/July 2004, Family Violence Prevention Fund and Advocates for Youth, http://www.med.umich.edu/whp/newsletters/summer04/p03-dating.html.

10 Fifth & Pacific Companies, Inc. (Liz Claiborne, Inc.), Conducted by Teen Research Unlimited, (May 2009). “Troubled Economy Linked to High Levels of Teen Dating Violence & Abuse Survey 2009,” Available at: https://www.breakthecycle.org/surveys.

11 Jagdish Khubchandani, Jeffrey Clark, Michael Wiblishauser, Amy Thompson, Cathy Whaley, Rachel Clark, and Jackie Davis.Violence and Gender.Dec 2017.ahead of print http://doi.org/10.1089/vio.2017.0043

12 Liz Claiborne Inc., conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited, (February 2005)

13 Eaton, D.K., Davis, K.S., Barrios, L., Brener, N.D., & Noonan, R.K. 2007. Associations of dating violence victimization with lifetime participation, co-occurrence, and early initiation of risk behaviors among U.S. high school students. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 22: 585–602.

14 Jay G. Silverman, PhD; Anita Raj, PhD; Lorelei A. Mucci, MPH; Jeanne E. Hathaway, MD, MPH, “Dating Violence Against Adolescent Girls and Associated Substance Use, Unhealthy Weight Control, Sexual Risk Behavior, Pregnancy, and Suicidality” JAMA. 2001;286(5):572-579. doi:10.1001/jama.286.5.572

15 Silverman, J.G., Raj, A., Mucci, L.A., & Hathaway, J.E. 2001. Dating violence against adolescent girls and associated substance use, unhealthy weight control, sexual risk behavior, pregnancy, and suicidality. Journal of the American Medical Association 286 (5): 572-579.

16 Decker M, Silverman J, Raj A. 2005. Dating Violence and Sexually Transmitted Disease/HIV Testing and Diagnosis Among Adolescent Females. Pediatrics. 116: 272-276.

17 D. M. Ackard, Minneapolis, MN, and D. Neumark-Sztainer, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, Date Violence and Date Rape Among Adolescents: Associations with Disordered Eating Behaviors and Psychological Health, Child Abuse & Neglect, 26 455-473, (2002).

For more teen dating violence statistics, you can browse this site or visit www.loveisrespect.org or www.breakthecycle.org.