Unsafe Relationships Among Teens

Female students and LGBTQ students were more likely to report being controlled, threatened, or made to feel unsafe by someone they were going out with.  

In a survey of Washington public school students, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders were asked about whether someone they were dating or going out with had ever limited their activity, threatened them, or made them feel unsafe in any way. These experiences can reflect unhealthy relationships. Combining responses from 2018 and 2021, 5.6% of students in King County reported having these experiences in their dating relationships.  

• Gender: At 16.2%, transgender students were almost 3 times as likely to experience unsafe relationships compared to King County average. Students who identified as female, questioning, and/or something else were also more likely to have these experiences than the county average.  

• Sexual orientation: At 10.2%, lesbian, gay, and bisexual students were more likely to experience unsafe relationships than the King County average.  

• Grade level: The percent of students who had experienced unsafe relationships increased with grade level, ranging from 3.8% of 8th graders to 7.2% of 12th graders.   

• Race and ethnicity: Asian students (3.0%) were less likely than the King County average to report feeling unsafe in their relationships. However, there were differences among Asian students by ethnic group, with students identifying as Asian Indian (2.5%), Chinese (3.2%), and Korean (3.2%) having lower rates than King County overall and students identifying as Cambodian/Khmer, Filipino, Japanese, and Vietnamese having rates comparable to the county average. White students (6.5%) and students identifying as multiple races (7.0%) were more likely to experience unsafe relationships compared to the King County average.  

• Trends: The percent of students who had experienced unsafe relationships decreased by about half, from a high of 9.5% in 2006 to a low of 4.7% in 2021. This decline was seen across grade level, gender, region, and several races/ethnicities. 

Additional Resources  

If you have experienced sexual violence (or are supporting someone who has), resources are available:  

• The King County Sexual Assault Resource Center is available 24/7 at 888.998.6423. They provide free, comprehensive support to King County residents, including advocacy, therapy, and education.  

• The National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 1 (800) 656-HOPE and online.rainn.org. They provide confidential support and referral to local resources.