A rarely talked about topic that affects a significant population is teen dating violence. Since those involved are so young, it’s rarely seen as an issue that is nearly as common as it is. According to loveisrespect.org, nearly 1.5 million highschool students in the United States experience some form of physical abuse from a romantic partner every year, and one in three teens experience some form of physical, emotional, sexual, or verbal abuse from a romantic partner. This issue is often exacerbated by the lack of emotional maturity and growth that is often present at these ages, leaving those who are abused either feeling like they aren’t being abused at all, or that they’re the problem and they’re too afraid to speak out.

These forms of abuse aren’t small or insignificant either, one in 10 highschool students have been purposefully slapped, hit, or physically hurt by a partner. The staggering amount of unreported occurrences in these cases is in urgent need of change, and teens who have been abused or are currently being abused are being cautioned to get help if it’s needed, and to get out of the relationship at the very least. The national domestic abuse hotline number is: (785)-232-9784.

The violence in young relationships is not just contained to high schoolers as well, nearly half of dating college women report having experienced violent and abusive dating relationships, and one in six college dating women has been sexually abused in a dating relationship. It’s strongly recommended that nobody give their partners access to their online social media or email information, as this can make digital abuse in romantic relationships more likely to happen due to the ease of which the abusive partner can control the victim’s online access. Teen dating violence is a rarely talked about issue, but there are steps that can be taken to avoid it, it’s important to remember to remove yourself from the situation and get help if needed.