Latino youth who experience dating violence are significantly more likely to seek informal help from friends rather than formal services, according to a national survey found.
Of the 1,525 adolescent Latinos surveyed for the DAVILA Study (Dating Violence among Latino Adolescents), nearly one in five reported experiencing dating violence. The average age of those surveyed was slightly younger than 15 years of age.
The study was sponsored by the National Institute of Justice.
Physical and sexual dating violence accounted for 12.2 percent of violence reported in the survey.
Formal help, typically from school personnel, was received by 15.6 percent of the victims.
“Informal help-seeking, primarily from friends, was pursued by 60.7 percent of the victims,” researchers wrote.
Read the full report HERE.