College is a transformational period for all who choose to attend. There are numerous opportunities that are available to you, such as opportunities to experience different cultures, achieve personal growth, and to create new relationships, particularly intimate relationships. 

These intimate relationships present a new challenge for college students. Dating violence, although it is a relevant issue across campuses nationwide, is often an underreported and closed-mouthed topic, particularly when referring to dialogue among students. Although there have been efforts to increase awareness regarding the topic of dating violence, there is still a problem across campuses. 

Dating violence and abuse come in multiple forms: sexual, physical, emotional, and psychological. Many people are still under the guise that dating violence is primarily limited to older or married couples, but the numbers alluding to the violence amongst college students contradict that ideology. 

43% of female college students who actively date report experiencing violent and abusive dating behaviors, including physical, sexual, digital, verbal, or other abuse. While 28% of men say that they have experienced some form of dating violence during their college years. This includes both sexual and physical assault, and abuse on the verbal, emotional, and psychological levels (including manipulation and gaslighting tactics).

The rather astounding numbers can be attributed to the fact that a majority of students are entering a time where they are experiencing serious intimate relationships for the first time. 

Yes, there are times when relationships in high school are serious but that is extremely rare. This is usually a time when we encounter our first serious relationships, and also a time when there aren’t many outlets to show us what a healthy relationship looks like, particularly at our age. College is a time when we are both physically and sometimes emotionally removed from the care of our family and close friends, which could act as an enabler for potential abuse to commence. 

Here at Rowan, 13% of all crimes (involving students) reported during the month of September involved harassment, domestic violence (that was not related to roommate disagreements), sexual assault, or drink spiking. In the month of October, about 11% of crimes reported involved those same acts.

Psychological abuse is one of the more common forms of abuse, but also one that’s difficult to identify. Technological advancements, social media, and the rising popularity of communication by text and online chat rooms have only exacerbated the frequency of psychological abuse. The tracking of one’s location to stalk, the demanding of password information to social media apps to later change and lock your significant other out are all examples of this type of abuse and contribute to a rather toxic environment and relationship, specifically when one attempts to control every aspect of their significant others social, emotional and physical life. 

There is also a mental aspect that comes with the onset of dating abuse. 20% of IPV (Intimate Partner Violence) survivors experience an onset of psychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a wide range of substance use disorders. This of course affects students’ ability to maintain good academic performance and social relationships. This as well comes with the feeling of isolation and the need to drop out of this environment, in order to break loose from the toxic and depressing environment they have found themselves in. 

There is oftentimes a reluctance to report any form of abuse experienced. A feeling of shame and embarrassment often creeps into the minds of victims prior to the reporting of their experiences.  It should be mentioned, especially in a college environment, abusers and their victims are oftentimes a part of the same social circle and share multiple friends. We’ve seen cases of blame being passed on to the victim and, in extreme cases, even social repercussions and physical retaliation by the abuser themselves or friends and family of the abuser. The continued abuse experienced by victims could cause them to further downplay what they have been going through. The introduction of alcohol and constant partying may cause some to downplay different manipulation tactics and see them as part of a “normal relationship. “ 

The introduction of Title IX has caused collegiate institutions to address and report sexual harassment and assault cases, but this doesn’t necessarily address the other forms of abuse commonly found within intimate relationships. Across campuses nationwide (in my opinion),  there aren’t many counseling and educational programs in place to help those who may be experiencing a turbulent time in their relationship. Campuses could implement different programs with hopes of sharing the warning signs of an abusive relationship which would potentially decrease the number of abusive relationships on campus. I believe that college institutions could maybe look into partnering with domestic violence organizations and initiatives that can provide its students with additional resources both on and off campus. 

Universities across the nation have made strides in addressing sexual violence on campus, and while this is a plus, it oftentimes leaves holes in the discourse regarding intimate dating violence. Shifts in culture and the supply of different resources to students can create an environment where students feel both safe and informed regarding their relationships on campus. I believe that addressing dating violence on campus and providing students with knowledge surrounding the topic would not only benefit students in the short term but also the long term as the increased awareness would allow students to identify the warning signs of a problematic relationship post-graduation.

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