Teen Violence Statistics

All teens, regardless of ethnicity or socioeconomic background are vulnerable to relationship violence. Relationship abuse also happens in same-sex relationships.

  • Studies throughout the United States show that anywhere between 20% to as high as 69% of teens experience violence at the hands of their dating partners.1
  • In a study of 500 teens in New York City, between 17 and 23% of those interviewed had been intimidated, threatened, hit or slapped by their partner, and 25% reported being verbally abused through insults, humiliation and embarrassment. Yet only 14% of these teens described themselves as being in abusive relationships.2
  • Another study of over 600 high school students revealed that nearly one-third of the respondents interpreted violent acts as acts of love.3
  • Both male and female teens may be victims. But boys more often cause serious physical injuries. Girls are more likely to receive injuries requiring medical attention.
  • Teen relationship abuse is largely unreported. Various studies estimate that as few as 4% of teens involved in violent relationships report the violence to authority figures such as teachers, counselors or police.4
  • Nearly 80% of teens who have been physically abused in their intimate relationships continue to date their abusers.5
  • One study shows that 30% of battered women married men who had abused them while dating.6
  • Young women age 16-24 experience the highest rate of domestic violence – 16 per 1,000persons.7

  1. Jezel, Molidor and Wright, “Physical, Sexual and Psychological Abuse in High School Dating Relationships: Prevalence Rates and Self-Esteem Issues,” Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal 13 (February1996) 69
  2. “Domestic Violence Survey at Covenant House New York,” Covenant House Public Policy and Legislative Advocacy Notes” (Spring 1999).
  3. Kris Worell, “When Teenage Relationships Become Abusive,” Atlanta Journal Constitution, April 14,1993, as cited by Toby Simon and Bethany Golden, Dating: Peer Education for Reducing Sexual Harassment and Violence Among Secondary Students (Holmes Beach, FL: Learning Publications, 1996).
  4. Libby Bergman, “Dating Violence Among High School Students,” Social Work 37 (1992) 23.
  5. Bergman
  6. Bruce Roscoe, et al., “Courtship Violence Experienced by Abused Wives: Similarities in Patterns of Abuse” Family Relations (July 1985)
  7. Hart, Timothy C. & Rennison, Callie. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, -Reporting Crime to the Police, 1992-2000.”(March 2003).