Domestic and Dating Violence Put Children, Youth at Risk
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Data just posted on kidsdata.org show that, in 2010, Californians made more than 160,000 domestic violence-related calls to law enforcement, though the rate of calls has declined by 28% since 1998.
The negative effects of domestic violence can extend beyond the direct victim. For example, children who witness domestic violence, even if they are not targets of the violence, tend to exhibit the same emotional, behavioral, and academic problems as abused children. Child witnesses of family violence also are at higher risk of becoming abusers or victims themselves during adolescence or adulthood. In addition, research indicates that in 30% to 60% of families that experience domestic violence, children also are abused. Read more>>
Among California youth, about 4% of 7th graders, 6% of 9th graders, and 7% of 11th graders reported that they had been hit, slapped, or intentionally physically hurt by a girlfriend or boyfriend in the past 12 months, according to 2008-10 data. “Non-traditional students,” those enrolled in Community Day Schools or Continuation Education, report the highest percentages of dating violence – 13%. See data on youth dating violence in your county or school district >>
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About 4% of California 7th graders, 6% of 9th graders, 7% of 11th graders, and 13% of non-traditional students report that they have experienced dating violence.
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