Lawyers Manual - Unified Court System

386 Stephanie Nilva and Kristine Herman
Impact of Relationship Abuse Among Youth
A Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) study found that as
many as 20% of girls in high school have been physically or sexually abused
by a dating partner. 2 Nearly 80% of girls who are physically abused in their
intimate relationship continue to date their abuser. 3 A 2004 survey of young
women between 15 and 24 in New York City found a high prevalence of dating
relationships characterized by physical violence (22%), coercion (60%), and
forced sexual experiences (27%). 4 About 10% of domestic violence victims seen
in the City’s public hospitals are under the age of twenty, and 8% of women
killed by their intimate partners in New York City are teenagers. 5
The consequences of youth dating violence are a critical public health
problem. In a lifetime prevalence study of adolescent girls, JAMA found that
female adolescents who experienced physical dating violence have a higher
incidence of substance abuse, eating disorders, high-risk sexual behavior,
pregnancy and suicidality. 6 In addition to the physical and mental problems
associated with dating violence, 7 the negative impact of relationship abuse is
compounded by the features of adolescent development.
Challenges to Representing Youth
Isolation
Most young people have little contact with social support and civic systems
outside of their schools. They may be entirely unaware that minors are eligible
to speak confidentially to an attorney, may hire a lawyer at no cost, or may file
for an order of protection without representation. Even when young people are
ready to accept help, they face barriers, such as a lack of money for public
transit, limited familiarity with neighborhoods beyond their home and school,
and little time outside of school hours to schedule appointments.
Abusive and controlling behavior isolates victims from friends and family.
The batterer’s behavior will often cause a young person to feel even more
confined and more inclined to view her abuser as omniscient with enormous
power over her. Such feelings will be even greater if the victim has continuing
emotional attachment to, or contact with, the perpetrator through children in
common, a common scenario for many young victims.