Considering I’ve worked with teenagers quite a bit, this is something I think more folks need to be aware of. Statistics tell interesting stories, so I think I’ll just leave you with some to get a better understanding on why awareness of this subject is important.

• Approximately 1 in 5 female high school students report being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner.

• Females ages 16-24 are more vulnerable to intimate partner violence than any other age group
  – at a rate almost triple the national average.
• Between 1993 and 1999, 22% of all homicides against females ages 16-19 were committed by
  an intimate partner.
• Nearly one-half of adult sex offenders report committing their first sexual offenses prior to the
  age of 18.
• 58% of rape victims report being raped between the ages of 12-24.

Now that you know some of the facts, let me give you reason to make sure you are raising awareness amongst others about the need to discuss and provide safe places for teens to talk about these things.

• 81% of parents surveyed either believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they don’t
  know if it’s an issue.
• A majority of parents (54%) admit they’ve not spoken to their child about dating violence.
• Nearly 25% of 14-17 year-olds surveyed know at least one student who was a victim of dating violence, while 11% know multiple victims of dating violence. 33% of teens have actually witnessed such an event.
• 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.
• One in three teens reports knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked,
  slapped or physically hurt by their dating partner.
• In 9 out of 10 rapes in which the offender is under 18, so is the victim.
• When female high school students were asked whom they would talk to if someone they date is attempting to control them, insults them, or physically harms them, 86% percent said they would confide in a friend, while only 7% said they would talk to police.
• 83% of 10th graders surveyed at the 4th Annual Teen Dating Abuse Summit reported that they would sooner turn to a friend for help with dating abuse than to a teacher, counselor, parent or other caring adult.
• Only 33% of teens who were in an abusive relationship ever told anyone about the abuse

And this, is one of the most alarming pieces of information:

Both victims and abusers attribute the responsibility for violent dating behavior to victims, caused by: provocation by the girl; the victim’s personality type; the girl’s need for affection; communication problems; and peer group influence.

For more information and to find references for all information listed on this post, check out the American Bar Association, Teen Dating Tool Kits.