Teen dating violence significantly elevates the risk of injury for adolescents. These experiences also correlate with higher rates of depression, substance use, and suicide attempts. The CDC’s annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey provides the data that tracks these national patterns.
Key Takeaways
- Teens experiencing dating violence are significantly more likely to report injuries (study-reported elevated injury risk)
- Adolescents exposed to dating violence have higher odds of depressive symptoms (odds ratio reported in study)
- Youth experiencing dating violence have increased odds of substance use behaviors (study-reported association)
- CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) asks students about dating violence behaviors and is used for annual national estimates
- In the CDC School Health Profiles, reporting enables tracking of district policies, training, and curriculum related to dating violence prevention (surveillance function)
- The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) authorizes grants and services for victims of dating violence and domestic violence (statutory support)
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) supports shelters and services that can serve dating violence victims under eligible programs (program authorization)
- The Teen Dating Violence Prevention Program (e.g., TDVPP) targets multiple settings and includes skills-building sessions and parent/teacher engagement (program design described)
- The Safer Choices program evaluation found significantly lower rates of dating violence and sexual risk outcomes in intervention groups (quantitative effects reported)
- The Safe Dates program reduced physical dating violence and related outcomes in randomized trials (effect sizes reported in paper)
Teens facing dating violence face higher risks of injuries, mental health harm, substance use, and suicide attempts.
Related reading
01 · Category
Risk & Impact9 stats
01
Teens experiencing dating violence are significantly more likely to report injuries (study-reported elevated injury risk)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25894784/
02
Adolescents exposed to dating violence have higher odds of depressive symptoms (odds ratio reported in study)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28077750/
03
Youth experiencing dating violence have increased odds of substance use behaviors (study-reported association)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26505606/
04
Dating violence victimization is associated with an increased risk of suicide attempts (study-reported association)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26335355/
05
Intimate partner violence (including teen dating violence contexts) is associated with higher risk of PTSD symptoms in adolescents (study-reported association)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29578846/
06
Youth who perpetrate dating violence show elevated risk for later interpersonal violence (longitudinal study association)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22576359/
07
Teen dating violence perpetration is associated with higher likelihood of carrying weapons at school (study-reported association)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20650334/
08
Teen dating violence victimization is associated with school absenteeism and lower academic performance (study-reported association)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24056721/
09
Exposure to violence in relationships increases odds of experiencing sexual risk behaviors (study-reported association)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23255798/
Interpretation
Risk & Impact Interpretation
Overall, teen dating violence appears to drive a cluster of serious risk and impacts, with higher odds of depressive symptoms and substance use behaviors alongside increased injury risk and a link to suicide attempts, and it also predicts later interpersonal violence and PTSD symptoms.
02 · Category
Detection & Reporting1 stats
01
CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) asks students about dating violence behaviors and is used for annual national estimateshttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm
Interpretation
Detection & Reporting Interpretation
Because the CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey collects annual national estimates by asking students about dating violence behaviors, it provides the clearest snapshot of how consistently these incidents are being detected and reported each year.
More related reading
03 · Category
Policy & Funding3 stats
01
In the CDC School Health Profiles, reporting enables tracking of district policies, training, and curriculum related to dating violence prevention (surveillance function)https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/profiles/index.htm
02
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) authorizes grants and services for victims of dating violence and domestic violence (statutory support)https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1620
03
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) supports shelters and services that can serve dating violence victims under eligible programs (program authorization)https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/programs/fvpsa
Interpretation
Policy & Funding Interpretation
Across policy and funding, federal support for dating violence is clearly established through major programs, including VAWA’s authorized grants and services and FVPSA funding for shelters and related services, while CDC School Health Profiles reporting further enables monitoring of district policies, training, and curriculum.
04 · Category
Prevention & Programs8 stats
01
The Teen Dating Violence Prevention Program (e.g., TDVPP) targets multiple settings and includes skills-building sessions and parent/teacher engagement (program design described)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4066562/
02
The Safer Choices program evaluation found significantly lower rates of dating violence and sexual risk outcomes in intervention groups (quantitative effects reported)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20406692/
03
The Safe Dates program reduced physical dating violence and related outcomes in randomized trials (effect sizes reported in paper)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17196034/
04
A meta-analysis reports that dating violence prevention programs have small-to-moderate effects on risk/protective outcomes (effect sizes reported)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29625938/
05
A systematic review reports that school-based interventions can reduce dating violence perpetration and victimization (quantitative synthesis)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28592840/
06
The U.S. Department of Education’s STOP School Violence includes prevention planning that can incorporate dating violence prevention as part of bullying and violence prevention activities (program framework)https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/17122/637839523393130000
07
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) STOP grant programs have multi-year funding cycles; awards support evidence-based youth violence prevention including relationship violence (grant program description)https://www.ojp.gov/funding/
08
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women supports prevention and intervention services that can include teen dating violence (program overview)https://www.justice.gov/ovw/grants
Interpretation
Prevention & Programs Interpretation
Across Prevention and Programs, multiple evaluated teen dating violence interventions such as Safe Dates and Safer Choices show significantly lower dating violence and sexual risk outcomes, and broader reviews find small to moderate improvements overall, supporting that school and community based prevention can measurably reduce both perpetration and victimization.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priyanka Sharma. (2026, February 13). Teen Dating Violence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teen-dating-violence-statistics
MLA
Priyanka Sharma. "Teen Dating Violence Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/teen-dating-violence-statistics.
Chicago
Priyanka Sharma. 2026. "Teen Dating Violence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teen-dating-violence-statistics.
Sources & references
21 datasets cited across this report
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)