Taking a Stand: How Teens Are Working to End Relationship Violence by Claudia Boyd-Barrett, California Health Report May 18, 2021 Taking a Stand: How Teens Are Working to End Relationship Violence by Claudia Boyd-Barrett, California Health Report May 18, 2021 Relationship violence is a public health crisis. An estimated 15.5 million children in the U.S. are exposed to domestic violence each year. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than a quarter of girls and 15 percent of boys experience some form of intimate partner violence — such as sexual assault, physical abuse or stalking — before the age of 18. Children and teens who experience dating violence or who are exposed to domestic violence at home are at higher risk for mental health problems. And, due to their past trauma, they are more likely than other young people to experience abusive relationships as adults.