Nearly Half of States Fail to Protect Teen Dating Violence Victims
May 8, 2009
For the second year in a row, Break the Cycle graded each state on its ability to protect victims of teen dating violence who seek protection orders against their abusers. This year, Break the Cycle gave only five states grades of “A” and 14 states grades of “B.” The five “A” states are: California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Oklahoma.
Just nine states (California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming) allow minors to obtain protection or restraining orders without the involvement of a parent, guardian or other adult if they meet certain requirements, like age or relationship to abuser.
Ten states received an automatic failure because they do not specifically recognize dating relationships as valid domestic relationships for obtaining restraining orders or protection orders, and do not make restraining orders available to minors. Those ten states are: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and Virginia.
For this year’s report, Break the Cycle refined its scoring system in order to better assess the way that state civil domestic violence protection order laws address the needs of teen victims. Eight states improved their grades: Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Four of them were states that received “F” grades last year: Iowa improved to a “D”; Maryland and New York to a “C”; and Wisconsin to a “B”.
“With several states changing their laws to better protect teens since 2008, we have already seen that these grades spur action among state legislatures throughout the country, as well as activism among our nation’s youth,” said Break the Cycle Executive Director Marjorie Gilberg.
Victims of teen dating abuse face overwhelming obstacles to getting help because, as minors, it is often difficult for them to move from their home, change their school or gain access to basic securities like money, shelter and transportation.
Break the Cycle’s “2009 State-by-State Teen Dating Violence Report Card” is available here.
