It is a fact that many adults don’t want to face, but dating violence and abuse can start at a very young age. According to one poll 40% of teenage girls, ages 14 to 17 say they know someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend. In 2008 the crisis center members of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence provided the following services to young people.

• 125 teen girls and 20 teen boys sought support for domestic violence
  
• 731 teen girls and 131 teen boys sought support for sexual assault
  
• 26 teens sought support for stalking (gender breakdown is not available)

According to the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey of New Hampshire High School students during the past year:

• 9.6% say they were hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend
  
• 7% say they have been physically forced to have sexual intercourse when they did not want to

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month highlights the need for early education about healthy relationships, as well as the need to increase awareness of this problem among the adults who care for young people. In young people we have a critical opportunity to prevent the cycle of abuse from continuing. You can learn more by visiting our teen website www.reachoutnh.com.

Other Resources:

• Teen Dating Violence Prevention Project

• American Bar Association National Teen Dating Violence Prevention Initiative

• Break the Cycle: Empowering Youth to End Domestic Violence

• Choose Respect

• Love Is Respect: National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline

• Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships Targeting 11- to- 14-year-olds

• A Thin Line: Empowering youth to stop the spread of digital abuse.

• VAWnet Special Collection: Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence