Only a third of students believe the school penalizes students who engage in intimidation. And less than a third of victims report the behavior to someone at school. This finding is significant because it reflects what teens perceive the climate in their school to be. Nearly a quarter of the teens surveyed knew at least one student at their school who had been physically struck by a person they were dating. Interestingly, only eight percent of the parents surveyed knew of a student that had experienced such abuse.
Most teens are unwilling to turn to the adults in their lives for help.
Seventy-eight percent said they would turn to a peer if confronted with a dating partner who was trying to control, insult, or physically abuse them. Only half of the teens say they would turn to their parents. School staff fared the worst. Only 16 percent would speak with a teacher and 22 percent with a guidance counselor or school administrator. While teens frequently witness violent behavior, they rarely try to stop it.