Love isn’t supposed to hurt. Nearly one in 11 U.S. high school students is physically abused by a boyfriend or girlfriend every year, Reuters reports of a new survey of almost 15,000 teenagers conducted by the National Center for Injury Prevention.
Physical violence among teens who are dating includes punching, kicking, or slapping, as well as shaking, pushing or grabbing hard enough to cause discomfort. It can escalate to an attack with a knife, gun or other weapon. It’s also important to note that any physical act that is unwanted or hurtful–even if it’s just tickling or hugging–is a form of abuse.
The study: Led by Dr. M.C. Black, the team analyzed data from the 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which included students in grades 9 through 12 from 158 schools located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. They examined the answer to this one question: During the past 12 months, did your boyfriend or girlfriend ever hit, slap or physically hurt you on purpose?”
The results: Specifically, 8.9 percent of boys and 8.8 percent of girls reported physical victimization, which the authors estimate to be 1.5 million U.S. high school students, reports Reuters.