Dating Violence Among College Students In Usa

Posted : admin On 5/28/2022

Dating violence, also known as intimate partner violence (IPV), is a common and pervasive problem on college campuses. Despite the prevalence of dating violence among college students, it is underreported, and it is discussed significantly less than sexual assault among college students. There are a few reasons why this may be the case. First, many college students do not report their abuse because they may actually not realize at the time that they are being.

College

August 23, 2020

Teen dating violence is something that has only received attention in the last two decades. Previous to that it was regarded as not so important and regions with a strong religious presence largely ignored any romantic interactions between teenagers and deemed them ridiculous.

What has become apparent in recent years is that adult relationship and domestic violence has its roots grounded in unchecked teenage behavior. For this reason teenage dating violence has become an area of interest for researchers and in my opinion deserves a lot of attention.

  • Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year.
  • 1 in 3 girls in the US is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence.
  • Only 33% of teens who were in an abusive relationship ever told anyone about the abuse.
  • 81% of parents believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they don’t know if it’s an issue.
  • Teens who suffer dating abuse are subject to long-term consequences like alcoholism, eating disorders, promiscuity, thoughts of suicide, & violent behavior.
  • 50% of young people who experience rape or physical or sexual abuse will attempt to commit suicide.
  • Among male high school students who have experienced sexual and physical abuse by a dating partner, more than 1 in 4 have seriously contemplated suicide, and almost as many have attempted suicide.

Statistics relating to suicide:

  • Teens who suffer dating abuse are subject to long-term consequences like alcoholism, eating disorders, promiscuity, thoughts of suicide, & violent behavior.
  • 50% of young people who experience rape or physical or sexual abuse will attempt to commit suicide.
  • Among male high school students who have experienced sexual and physical abuse by a dating partner, more than 1 in 4 have seriously contemplated suicide, and almost as many have attempted suicide.
  • Among female high school students who have experienced sexual and physical abuse by a dating partner, nearly half have seriously contemplated suicide, and more than 1 in 4 have attempted suicide.
  • In a survey of parents, three in four parents say they have had a conversation with their teen about what it means to be in a healthy relationship –but 74 percent of sons and 66 percent of daughters said they have not had a conversation about dating abuse with a parent in the past year.
  • Though more than four in five parents (82 percent) feel confident that they could recognize the signs if their child was experiencing dating abuse, a majority of parents (58 percent) could not correctly identify all the warning signs of abuse.
  • In a survey with a representative sample of teens (ages 13-18), nearly half (42%) said their parents know nothing or very little about what they do online.
  • Of teens in an abusive relationships, fewer than one in three (32 percent) confide in their parents about their abusive relationship.
  • In a national on-line survey of parents with children 11-18 years old, nearly half (45%) had not discussed dating violence with their children in the past year. Reasons parents did not discuss dating violence with their children included they thought their children were too young to talk about it, they would not know what to say, and their children would learn about it through experience

Other worthy statistics:

  1. Nearly 1 in 11 female and approximately 1 in 15 male high school students report having experienced physical dating violence in the last year.
  2. About 1 in 9 female and 1 in 36 male high school students report having experienced sexual dating violence in the last year.
  3. 26% of women and 15% of men who were victims of contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime first experienced these or other forms of violence by that partner before age 18.
  4. The burden of TDV is not shared equally across all groups—sexual minority groups are disproportionately affected by all forms of violence, and some racial/ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected by many types of violence.
  5. 1 in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.
  6. Roughly 1.5 million U.S. high school boys & girls admit to being hit or physically harmed in the last year by someone they are romantically involved with.
  7. 1 in 3 young people will be in an abusive or unhealthy relationship.
  8. 33% of adolescents in America are victim to sexual, physical, verbal, or emotional dating abuse.
  9. 1 in every 5 high school students report being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner. (Journal of the American Medical Association)
  10. 1 in every 5 students between the ages of 11 & 14 say their friends are victims of dating violence, almost half experience verbal abuse. (Futures Without Violence)
  11. 43% of reported cases of dating violence occurred in a school building or on school grounds. (Day One)
  12. 50% of 14-24-year-olds have experienced digital dating abuse. (Day One)
  13. Among adult victims of rape, physical violence and/or stalking by a dating partner, 22.4% of women & 15% of men first experience some form of partner violence between 11 & 17 years of age. (CDC)
  14. Teaching young people about healthy relationships & ways to avoid physical dating violence can reduce physical & sexual dating violence by 60%.
  15. More than half of women (69.5%) and men (53.6%) who have been physically or sexually abused, or stalked by a dating partner, first experienced abuse between the ages of 11-24.
  16. Of the 8.5% of middle school students who report having bullied a classmate, nearly 1 in 5 have been a victim of dating abuse.
  17. Nearly half of female and 1 in 4 male high school students who report experiencing sexual or physical abuse by a dating partner, have also been bullied electronically.
  18. Among female high school students who have experienced sexual and physical abuse by a dating partner, nearly half have seriously contemplated suicide, and more than 1 in 4 have attempted suicide.

I am sure this has been an eye opening experience read for you as it was for me while doing the research, overall I think this is a topic that deserves a lot more attention and focus. I believe that the root of a lot of adult relationship violence starts in the teenage years, I feel there needs to be a push for education in this sector.

College students party

Related:Online dating safety tips

Domestic violence such as rape, date rape, acquaintance rape, sexual assault, stalking and more occur everywhere – and colleges and universities are no exception. It is thought that nearly one in four college women have either been raped or suffered an attempted rape – and most knew their abusers beforehand.

Sadly, college campuses are not always the safe havens they should be. Domestic violence is a serious and widespread issue for college students across North Carolina and throughout the nation. The Raleigh area is home to several large universities, and our domestic violence lawyers in Raleigh urge students to raise awareness of the problem and take steps to protect themselves.

How Domestic Violence at the University Level Is Different

Domestic violence – that is, violence between intimate partners – is a horrifying form of aggression. The abuser terrorizes his or her victim using physical force, coercion or threats, and takes advantage of a person he or she claims to care for. Domestic violence can, but doesn’t always, occur in acts of sexual abuse. Unfortunately, young victims of dating violence are often hesitant to come forward because of societal stigma and fear of retribution.

The university environment can further exacerbate the fear associated with domestic violence. A victim of domestic violence may feel that coming forward would threaten her or his social reputation, or would “ruin the life” of a prominent campus figure (though, of course, it was that prominent figure who broke the law).

Social media now plays an increased role, as teenagers and college students have the opportunity to covertly bully and threaten victims online.

Dating Violence Among College Students In Usa 2018

Many students are also away from home for the first time and may feel isolated from their trusted support networks, especially family.

Beyond the social pressures, there are administrative challenges to face. Some colleges conduct their own hearings in response to student reports of domestic violence, but they may drag their feet. Many students have reported not being taken seriously or being put through arduous and disorganized hearings.

Victims are sometimes forced to continue attending class alongside their abusers or even live in the same residence hall. These missteps may stem in part from the mistaken perception that most college students prefer to “hook up” rather than engage in committed relationships, and that instances of dating violence are nothing more than isolated disputes between students. This is as offensive as it is incorrect. Most students do not frequently “hook up,” and instances of violence between intimate partners in college are a form of domestic violence.

Domestic Violence on College Campuses Is All Too Common

Domestic violence is sadly all too common on college campuses, and not enough is being done to address this issue. About 1 in 5 college students say they have been abused by an intimate partner, and nearly a third admit to having committed assault against their partner at some time in the previous year, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Women are at a higher risk. In fact, women ages 16 to 24 suffer from domestic violence at the highest rate of any surveyed group, according to a U.S. Department of Justice report. Among victims ages 18 to 24, nearly 30 percent of female murder victims were killed by intimate partners.

Dating Violence Among College Students In Usa 2019

In more than two-thirds of cases of domestic violence against women, the women reported that the assault included physical violence (being hit, pushed down, or otherwise physically attacked). The rest involved the threat of physical violence or attempted physical violence. Threats are considered to be domestic violence, as the goal is to physically terrorize the victim.

Instances of domestic violence tend to occur at home (or perhaps in a residence hall) at night, when there are less likely to be witnesses. Moreover, on campus, stalkers and abusers are even likely to have keycard access to the victim’s residence. Victims of domestic violence may feel they have nowhere to turn.

Statistics on Domestic Violence at Colleges and Universities

In fact, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), approximately 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses knew their attacker. An astonishing 35% of those victims reported that the rape occurred while on a date.

Here are other NCADV Domestic Violence on College Campuses Statistics:

  • 25% of female students experience sexual assault over the course of their college career.
  • 53% of victims of domestic violence were abused by a current or former boyfriend or girlfriend.
  • 21% of college students report having experienced dating violence by a current partner.
  • 32% of college students experienced dating violence by a previous partner.
  • 13% of college women report they were forced to have sex by a dating partner.
  • 60% of acquaintance rapes on college campuses occur in casual or steady dating relationships.
  • 13% of college women report they have been stalked – nearly half of those were by a current or ex-boyfriend.

As you can see, statistics on domestic violence and rape at colleges and universities are staggering. Unfortunately, these statistics are likely much higher as many survivors do not report crimes to authorities out of fear of reprisal, fear of future acts of violence, anxiety, low self esteem and more.

Legal Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence at College

Though many families and students may be unaware, victims of domestic violence on campus are protected by Title IX. This same law has received plenty of publicity as it concerns equal athletics funding, but its purview over dating violence has perhaps been underplayed. Colleges and universities have the duty to investigate instances of domestic violence among their students and to take measures to protect victims from their abusers.

Dating Violence Among College Students In Usa 2019

However, those campus hearings are not legal trials, and administrators cannot put an abuser in jail or issue legal protective orders. It’s important to keep in mind that victims of college dating violence have options outside of campus resources, too. In some cases, they may find that law enforcement provides a more thorough response than college administrators.

If you have been a victim of domestic violence in Raleigh or elsewhere in Wake County or North Carolina, you should contact an experienced domestic violence lawyer immediately.

Sources:

  • S. Department of Justice:Violence by Intimates
  • Times Leader:New regs targeting sexual assault on college campuses now in effect
  • Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Center:Dating and Domestic Violence on College Campuses
  • Know Your IX:Campus Dating Violence