Data are presented on the prevalence of physical and sexual dating violence reported by high school students in the United States in 2017, with comparisons for 2013 and 2015.
The survey and its analysis were administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In this survey, "physical dating violence" is defined as "being physically hurt on purpose (such as being hit, slammed into something, or injured with an object or weapon) by someone they were dating or going out with in the 12 months prior to the survey." "Sexual dating violence" is defined in the survey as "being forced to do sexual acts (such as kissing, touching, or being physically forced to have sexual intercourse) that they did not want by someone they were dating or going out with in the 12 months prior to the survey." This report indicates that the prevalence of physical and sexual dating violence declined between 2012 and 2017. In 2017, the prevalence of physical dating violence was greater for Black students than white or Hispanic students. High school females were more likely than males to report physical or sexual dating violence in 2017, and high school seniors were more likely than freshmen or juniors to report physical dating violence in 2017. Gay, lesbian, or bisexual students and those not sure of their sexual identity were more likely than heterosexual students to report physical or sexual dating violence in 2017. 5 figures