Schools Don't See Teen Dating Violence as a Priority

Despite research showing up to a third of U.S. teens experience dating violence, a new study finds a majority of high schools don't have procedures or trained staff to deal with the issue.

According to the report published in the journal Pediatrics, some 70 percent of U.S. high school counselors have not received any formal training in teen dating violence.

That's a big problem, the study's lead author said. 

The majority of counselors said their students are taught about healthy relationships and are told to report dating violence if it occurs.Less than half, however, said their schools taught students about dating violence or had information on the topic posted around the school for students if they needed it.

As for protocols, about 81 percent of the counselors said their schools did not have one in place to deal with a dating violence incident. And only about 16 percent said their schools had talked about creating procedures for handling an incident or had plans to implement them.Nearly all counselors - 90 percent - said their schools had not provided training related to adolescent dating violence to staff within the past two years.

To assess the counselors' own knowledge of the topic, the researchers asked them a series of questions about dating violence, about half of which were answered correctly, on average.Nonetheless, 61 percent of the counselors said they had helped a teen who had experienced dating violence in the last two years.

Paige Smith, director of the Center for Women's Health and Wellness at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, said she thinks the results are typical for professionals."You can do this type of survey with nurses and coaches and find very similar results," said Smith, who was not involved in the new study.

School administrators should periodically assess the extent of dating violence in their schools and come up with strategies for dealing with it. Administrators should also familiarize themselves and their staffs with relevant state laws on dating violence and minor consent.

National organizations need to start reaching out to members and start developing policies and protocols, said Khubchandani, who added that there are only limited materials out there now for schools and counselors.

(excerpt from Fox.com/Reuters)