1 in 10 Chicago Girls Report Dating Violence, Study Finds
Dec 11, 2009
Recent news coverage has focused on gang violence in Chicago, but the city also has a problem with dating violence, according to a report released last month on the status of girls in Illinois.
More than one in 10 girls in Chicago says she has been physically abused by a boyfriend or girlfriend. Statewide, one in 10 high school girls says she has been forced to have sexual intercourse, according to the Status of Girls in Illinois. Similarly, 11 percent report having skipped school because they feared for their safety.
To reduce violence against girls, the report recommends implementing dating and sexual violence prevention programs in junior high school or earlier, enhancing data collection efforts on violence against girls, and shifting resources away from incarceration and toward solutions at the community level. The report also recommends supporting programs that foster tolerance for lesbian and gay youth.
Funded by the Steans Family Foundation, the Chicago Foundation for Women, and The Field Foundation of Illinois, the Status of Girls in Illinois report follows the national focus set by the White House Council on Women and Girls, established by President Obama in March 2009 to ensure that women’s and girls’ issues are addressed in public policy.
The Status of Girls in Illinois addresses a wide spectrum of areas affecting Illinois girls’ lives, including sexuality, violence, incarceration, substance abuse, health, education and physical fitness. For more information and to read the full report, click here.
