For Immediate Release:
NONPROFIT GENERATION HOPE RELEASES BRIEF TO COMBAT INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AMONG STUDENT PARENTS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES
WASHINGTON ⸺October 30, 2023 ⸺ Today, Generation Hope, a leading advocate for parenting college students, announced the release of "Student Parents & Intimate Partner Violence,” which sheds light on the critical need to integrate intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention and response strategies into support systems for student parents. Although nearly a quarter of young mothers under the age of 19 experience physical or sexual abuse during their pregnancy, IPV among this group is still underrecognized nationally. The brief also highlights the alarming fact that IPV often remains hidden in the shadows on — and off — college campuses, and can have devastating impacts on students, especially those who are caring for children.
“Through this report, we hope to shed light on something we see every day at Generation Hope — that student parents are often more likely to experience intimate partner violence, adding another significant hurdle to earning a postsecondary credential while already being severely under-supported within various systems — including higher education,” said Nicole Lynn Lewis, Generation Hope Founder & CEO. “We want policymakers and institutional leaders to see the importance of removing barriers to accessing resources and creating safer, more supportive environments for these students. As a survivor of intimate partner violence and a former student parent, I know that my story is not unique. The end goal is to ensure that no student parent has to walk this difficult path alone.”
It is important to recognize the vast array of barriers and obstacles that can hinder student parents’ success in higher education, including experiences with IPV and its impacts. Domestic abuse has lasting, multi-generational impacts. As indicated throughout “Student Parents & Intimate Partner Violence,” colleges need to be safe places for all students to disclose instances of IPV. The danger of not having these types of environments, specifically for student parents and their children, further isolates them and reduces the likelihood that they will reach out for help. The content of the brief consists of synthesized research findings gathered from various sources.
Key findings from the brief include:
Women between the ages of 18-24 are most commonly abused by an intimate partner, compared to other age and gender categories.
66% of IPV survivors say that the abuse they experienced disrupted their progress toward their educational goals, and 44% of IPV survivors dropped or had to retake one or more classes as a result of the abuse.
40 of the nearly 200 teen parents (20%) in Generation Hope’s Scholar Program in the D.C. metro region and Greater New Orleans have disclosed that they “have witnessed or experienced domestic, family, or sexual violence” at some point in their lives.
Witnessing IPV during childhood increases the likelihood that an individual will perpetuate or experience violence themselves. More than 15 million children in the United States live in homes in which IPV has happened at least once.
Given the disproportionate impact of domestic violence on women, who are also more likely to be student parents and single mothers, initiatives aimed at enhancing college completion rates and improving the overall economic mobility of their families must incorporate measures to ensure that student parents receive the support they require while on campus and that they are equipped with the resources necessary to escape or prevent abusive situations. The new report includes the following recommendations for policymakers, leaders in higher education, and community stakeholders as they work toward mitigating the incidence and impact of IPV among students, particularly those who are parents:
Create campus environments that explicitly embrace and support student parents.
Prioritize the cultivation of safe and inclusive campus environments where all students can learn and work free from sex and gender-based discrimination, harassment, and violence.
Stand with survivors and champion policies and programs that are survivor-centered and focused on equity and justice.
Increase access to safe and affordable housing for survivors and their families and invest in programs that support their access to basic needs.
Create policies and programs that preserve economic security for survivors of IPV and their families.
To read “Student Parents & Intimate Partner Violence,” in its entirety, please visit generationhope.org/student-parents-and-intimate-partner-violence-2023.
Media Contacts
Dreena Whitfield
dreena@whitpr.com
908.588.2602
Brionna Miller
brionna@whitpr.com
973.861.3554
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About Generation Hope
To ensure all student parents have the opportunities to succeed and experience economic mobility, Generation Hope engages education and policy partners to drive systemic change and provides direct support to teen parents in college as well as their children through holistic, two-generation programming. @supportgenhope