LESSON 3.15

Children’s Health in the U.S. – Part 1

Dating Violence

  • Includes physical violence or unwanted sexual advances
  • In 2013:
    • 1 in 10 high school students in a relationship reported experiencing physical violence (slapped, hit, or other physical assault) by their partner.
    • higher rates reported by 12th graders (11.7%) compared to 9th graders (8.8%)
    • girls had higher rates than boys (13% vs. 7.4%, respectively)
  • 1 in 10 high school students in a relationship reported sexual violence (unwanted sexual advances or forced sexual intercourse/acts)
  • girls were twice as likely as boys to experience sexual dating violence (14.4% compared to 6.2%, respectively)
  • highest rates were in non-Hispanic Asian students (17%) compared to non-Hispanic White (9.8%) and non-Hispanic Black students (8.9%)

Source: HRSA Maternal & Child Health Bureau, 2015

In addition to physical violence among students, approximately 10% of high school students in a relationship reported experiencing dating violence. The violence was in the form of physical aggression (being slapped, hit, pushed and other forms of physical aggression); and sexual violence in the form of unwanted sexual advances (kissing, touching) and/or unwanted sexual intercourse or other sex acts.