Each year approximately 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner. Every February, advocates join together to raise awareness about teen dating violence, highlight efforts to combat this violence, and encourage others to get involved.

Teen dating violence (TDV) is defined as a pattern of abuse or threat of abuse against teenaged dating partners, including verbal, emotional, physical, sexual and digital abuse. TDV is similar to adult domestic violence as it occurs across diverse groups and cultures. To educate the public about TDV, the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and VAWnet developed an Online Special Collection: Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence, which includes vital information and resources to help recognize and prevent TDV and domestic violence in all forms.

The California Women’s Law Center’s (CWLC) recognizes the importance of healthy and safe relationships. To learn more about CWLC’s work fighting against gender-based violence, click here.