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Battered Women’s Justice Project

What High Schools and Colleges Need to Know About Dating Violence and Firearms

In the United States, one in eight high school students reports having been subjected to dating violence (physical, sexual, or both) within the last year. Among the college population, approximately 23% of U.S. undergraduate students report having been subjected to emotional, physical and/or sexual violence by a dating partner in the preceding year. This means that every high school and college community is impacted by teen dating violence. The majority of teen dating violence-related homicides are committed with a firearm and schools have been the site of fatal teen dating violence. This resource identifies key information about the intersection of teen dating violence and firearms that schools should understand and recommends steps schools can take to minimize risk.