Teen Dating Violence Programming in Schools Overall and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Study of Iowa School Counselor Perceptions

Abstract

Teen dating violence (TDV) and the related impacts are a public health issue across the country, including the Midwest. Because of their direct access to adolescents, school staffs are able to assist with TDV prevention and response. Surveys were completed by school counselors in Iowa at a statewide conference. The resulting data indicate that, while most felt that TDV is a problem, the majority reported that their schools do not provide TDV prevention education to students, training to staff, or have a written policy in place for TDV response. In addition, most reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated TDV and contributed to a reduction in school-based TDV prevention education. This misalignment creates an opportunity for improved efforts by schools to address the issue of TDV, through both prevention and response approaches.