The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) released its recommendation for primary prevention interventions to reduce perpetration of intimate partner violence and sexual violence among youth. The recommendation aligns with and supports strategies and approaches described in CDC’s Technical Packages on intimate partner violence and sexual violence. Evidence shows these interventions decrease perpetration of intimate partner violence and sexual violence. These packages are designed to help states and communities use the best available evidence to prevent violence.
CPSTF recommends primary prevention interventions that aim to prevent or reduce intimate partner violence and sexual violence among youth. Evidence shows these interventions decrease perpetration of intimate partner violence and sexual violence and increase bystander action. The recommendation is based on a systematic review of 28 studies published through June 2016. Included studies evaluated interventions that combined educational information about intimate partner violence and sexual violence with strategies to teach healthy relationship skills, promote social norms that protect against violence, or create protective environments.
Why is this important?
- Nearly 9% of high school females reported physical violence and nearly 11% reported sexual violence from a dating partner in the 12 months before they were surveyed. For high school males, more than 7% reported physical violence and about 3% reported sexual violence from a dating partner (Kann et al., 2018).
- Unhealthy, abusive, or violent relationships can have short- and long-term negative effects on a developing teen. Youth who experience dating violence are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, engage in unhealthy behaviors like drugs or alcohol, and think about suicide (CDC 2018).
- In the United States, 7.4% of high school students report having ever been physically forced to have sexual intercourse when they did not want to (Kann et al., 2018).
- Data from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey show that among female victims of completed or attempted rape, 43% (an estimated 11.0 million victims) reported that it first occurred prior to age 18. Among male victims of completed or attempted rape, 51% (about 1.5 million victims) first experienced such victimization prior to age 18 (Smith, et al., 2018).
Read the recommendation and check out these resources for more support:
- Intervention Summary—read a summary of the evidence review and CPSTF finding
- One Pager for Prevention of Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Among Youth—use this one-pager as a quick reference.