Did you know that teen relationships exhibit the same kind of escalating violence as do marital relationships?

Domestic violence is pervasive in our society. It is estimated that approximately 2.3 million people each year in the United States are raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend.

Young people experience abuse in their relationships at a higher rate than any other age group. In fact, the U.S. Department of Justice consistently finds that girls and women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence. Other studies of the teen population find that one in five high school girls is physically or sexually hurt by a dating partner and as many as one-third of teens experience some kind of abuse in their romantic relationships, including verbal and emotional abuse.

Violence in relationships is not just an adult problem. Abuse occurs in more than a quarter of teen relationships. Dating violence is when physical, emotional, and/or sexual force is used by one person to control or dominate the other. If you or someone you know is a victim of dating violence it is important to talk about it with someone, preferable an adult, to get help.