Partnerships
Partnering to Curb Teen Dating Violence
Teen dating violence is not only a harmful crime; it is also a huge challenge to those who are responsible for teen well-being. When more than 1,300 high school students from New York City were asked if they had ever experienced dating violence, nearly one in six (16%) said yes. Victims of dating violence also reported significantly more frequent pain and illness (31%) than teens who have not experienced dating violence, and nearly 60% of teens sampled told no one about the violence they experienced and sought no services.
Armed with the alarming statistics from this landmark study, CDC partnered with local schools, youth centers, and public health officials to take action. In the past year, comprehensive prevention initiatives for teens in New York City’s public schools were released along with a public transit map that contained directions to dating and sexual violence service facilities. Columbia University’s Center for Youth Violence Prevention, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the New York City Department of Education, and the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault are partners in this service and prevention effort.
Parents, students, teachers, and school health staff will be incorporated into this landmark initiative for New York City. By spotlighting the issue of dating violence, the collaboration between CDC and its New York partners highlights the need for effective, comprehensive, primary prevention efforts that keep our nation’s teens safe and promote CDC’s Health Protection Goal of Healthy People at Every Stage of Life.
Female Teens and Sexually Transmitted Infections
A 2008 CDC study found that one in four (26%) female teens in the United States has at least one of the more common sexually transmitted infections. Overall, approximately half of the teens in the study reported ever having sex, and among these girls, the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections was 40%. Even among girls reporting only one lifetime partner, one in five had at least one sexually transmitted infection.
The findings, though not surprising to the public health community, were a wakeup call to Americans concerned with adolescent and teen health.
Related Links
State of CDC
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