Dating abuse is a big problem, affecting youth in every community across the nation. One in three high school students nationwide will experience abuse from a dating partner before graduating. Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence, almost triple the national average. Nearly half of dating college women are likely to experience some form of violent or abusive dating behaviors.  Data for boys and LGBTQ+ individuals is scarcer.  Of adult men who experience partner abuse, 15% of them report that they first experienced some form of partner violence between 11 and 17 years of age.  The Urban Institute reports significantly higher rates of dating violence among LGBTQ+ youth than among non-LGBTQ+ youth.

Only 33% of teenage dating abuse victims ever told anyone about it.  81% of parents believe that teen dating violence is not an issue.

Hope’s Door has a Youth Prevention program, called Love Shouldn’t Hurt, which we conduct in school districts throughout Westchester County. The program emphasizes characteristics of healthy relationships, identifies potentially abusive behaviors, and teaches youth what to do if they, or a friend, experience forms of abuse. For more information, visit our Youth Prevention Services page or contact Alexa Kauffman, Youth Prevention Coordinator.