TEEN DATING VIOLENCE: 

NEXT STEPS IN OUR NATIONAL RESPONSE 

A Report of the Subcommittee on Teen Dating Violence of the U.S. Department of Justice, 

Office on Violence Against Women
 

National Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women
 

Executive Summary 

The Attorney General’s charge to the National Advisory Committee included the issue of teen 

dating violence: 

Federal statistics tell us that young women suffer a disproportionate amount of sexual 

assault and intimate partner violence. Moreover, young victims face different obstacles 

when seeking help than do adult victims. How can we best expand our work to address 

dating violence against teens? In particular, the Committee will consider how to build 

partnerships among parents, victim advocates and middle and high schools that will 

enable schools, communities and families to work together in the effort to combat dating 

violence. The Committee will address what school policies could enhance victim safety 

and improve school responses; what support services are needed for teen victims and 

their families; and how to provide appropriate educational programming and mentoring 

for students to prevent teen dating violence. The Committee will also explore how 

adolescent development and jargon affect the way dating violence is addressed and 

understood among teens, in communities, including faith communities, and in schools 

and how the adolescent perspective on dating violence can b e used to better 

communicate the problem. Consideration will be given to the unique challenges faced by 

rural communities. 

A six-member, cross-disciplinary Subcommittee on Teen Dating Violence was appointed to help 

the Committee fulfill its charge. Over a two-year period, we conducted a review of national 

research and literature to examine the scope of teen dating violence; existing research and 

evidence-based practices that prevent teen dating violence and promote greater victim and public 

awareness; and promising practices that are collaborative, culturally competent, and relevant to 

diverse populations of teens and their parents and communities across the United States. 

We have concluded that teen dating violence is a major public health and safety concern in the 

United States. The detrimental social and psychological effects reach far beyond young victims 

and perpetrators, to their families, their schools and their communities. While many significant 

efforts today seek to generate greater awareness and prevention of teen dating violence and 

provide services to victims, more is needed. 

Our report included seven important recommendations for further action that will strengthen our 

Nation’s response to teen dating violence. We wish to highlight two of these. 
 

1.	 It is the opinion of the subcommittee that we need greater involvement of schools 

and the educational system in our drive to address teen dating violence. 

Schools are a key stakeholder in this issue. State Departments of Education, local Boards of 

Education and school administrators can promote awareness and prevention of teen dating 

violence through the development of strong policies that address the issue within the context of 

schools, and the integration of the topic into standardized curricula. Teachers are on the front line 

of both identifying incidents of such violence, and incorporating the topic into curricula such as 

civics, health, history, physical education and the arts. Other school staff, including nurses and 

other health professionals, counselors, coaches, law enforcement, and staff and volunteers who 

facilitate after-school programs and mediation programs – can educate themselves about teen 

dating violence and incorporate aspects of awareness and prevention into their ongoing 

programs. And Parent/Teacher/Student associations can partner on strategies to educate parents 

and families about teen dating violence, and engage parents in prevention and responses. 

Excellent models exist in a few states and some local jurisdictions, but this information is not 

widely available. Schools should be encouraged to standardize their approach to teen dating 

violence using evidence-based practice. The Department of Education must embrace this issue as 

part of its complete response to safe schools. 

2.	 It is the opinion of the subcommittee, that as the needs of teen victims become clear, 

lack of confidentiality is recognized as a barrier to services. One complex issue that 

can keep teens from seeking help is the issue of mandatory reporting. 

All states have laws that mandate certain reporting of crimes against children. Some of these 

laws require any person with knowledge of the victimization of a minor to report to child 

protective services or law enforcement. The issue of mandated reporting, however, becomes 

problematic in cases of teen dating violence. While mandatory reporting laws are intended to 

increase victims' safety, in this context they may operate as a barrier to services. The teen years 

are a time of growing independence and autonomy. Teen victims may hesitate to disclose abuse 

if they believe the abuse may be reported to the police or child protective services against their 

will—not only due to loss of independence and control, but often due to fear of reprisal from the 

offender or even the victim's parent or guardian. Furthermore, the system intended to respond to 

such reports and child protective services is often ill equipped to act in cases of non-family 

offenses against teens. A national dialogue is needed on the issue of mandated reporting in the 

context of teen dating violence to ensure that such laws do not restrict a victim's ability to seek 

help. Such dialogue should consider the need to support teen victims' autonomy wherever 

possible and to consider safety planning whenever a report is made. A national summit must be 

held to discuss the workability of adjusting mandatory reporting schemes to meet the safety 

AND confidentiality needs of adolescent victims. 

The issue of teen dating violence is widely recognized as a serious problem by potential 

community partners. Many of those partners, however, are unclear about their next steps. 

Because of the existing level of interest and awareness, any effort to increase access to resources 

and identify best practices will have a significant effect in our national effort to end teen dating 

violence. 
 

Teen Dating Violence Subcommittee: 

Melissa Hook, Subcommittee Chair 

Director, Office of Victim Services 

Executive Office of the Mayor 

Washington D.C. 

Susan Howley, Subcommittee Chair 

Director of Public Policy 

National Center for Victims of Crime 

Washington, D.C. 

Christine Barr 

McLean, Virginia 

Judge Michael Brennan 

Milwaukee County Circuit Court 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

Marsha L. Garst 

Commonwealth’s Attorney 

Harrisonburg, Virginia 

Dr. Ludy Green 

President and Founder 

Second Chance Employment Services 

Washington, D.C. 

Margot Hill 

Boston Police Department (retired)