Dating/Relationship violence can be physical, sexual or emotional in nature.

Emotional Abuse     Insults, name-calling, yelling, threats, humiliation, isolation.

Physical Abuse     Hitting, pinching, shoving, restraining, destroying property, choking.

Sexual Abuse     Rape, sexual abuse, coercion or manipulation of a partner to engage in sexual conduct.

Who is Affected by Dating Violence?

Dating violence occurs in all types of relationships.  Victims and abusers come from all racial, gender, sex, socio-economic, ethnic, and religious groups.  Most victims of abuse are female, and most abusers are male.  However, men can be victims and women can be abusers.  A number of reported cases involve same sex relationships as well.

How Big a Problem is Dating Violence?

Every 15 seconds a women is beaten by her partner.  This results in 1 in 10 teenagers experiencing abuse, and 4 million incidents a year.  Many more go unreported each year.  Dating violence is a statistical problem, but more important is the realization that for victims of abuse it could be the biggest problem of their lives.