In New Mexico, 23 percent of all reported domestic violence cases between 2005 and 2009 involved college-age victims, ages 19 to 25, according to statistics from the New Mexico Interpersonal Violence Data Central Repository.
These numbers are reflected across the United States with the Bureau of Justice reporting women ages 20 to 24 are at the greatest risk of experiencing nonfatal intimate partner violence.
Anna Nelson, executive director of New Mexico Forum for Youth in Community, said college students are often at a higher risk for domestic violence for a variety of reasons.
“They’re likely to be more isolated from their families during that phase, especially if they’re going away for college,” she said.
Nelson said college students are inexperienced when it comes to relationships and may have unrealistic expectations or little knowledge about how to handle dating issues in healthy ways.
“A lot of people think, ‘Oh, well, it’s not a big deal. It won’t affect me later,’ and unfortunately, we know that it does,” she said.
Nelson said abusive relationships that go unrecognized can lead to poor academic performance, trauma-related mental health needs, alcoholism and substance abuse.
She also said the risk of suicide for those experiencing dating violence increases to nine times the risk of those who are not.
Nelson said dating violence is not exclusive to male-female intimate relationships.
“This can definitely happen in same-sex relationships and I think a lot of young adults don’t realize that,” she said. “The same elements of power and control happen in LGBTQ relationships.”
Michele Fuller, executive director of S.A.F.E. House, a shelter for victims of domestic violence, said young adults often don’t realize when a relationship is unhealthy, mistaking warning signs such as jealousy or control for being sweet or concerned.
“Abuse is not limited to physical abuse,” she said. “It’s monopolizing that person’s time, perception of the world and affecting their ability to spend time away from the relationship.”
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Paola Castillo, youth leaders associate at Enlace Communitario, a group specialized for Spanish speakers, said extreme jealousy is red flag in relationships.
“Blowing up your phone, getting upset because you don’t text back or because you don’t answer your phone the first time they call you,” she said.
Castillo said she witnessed this jealousy first hand when her good friend was in an abusive relationship.
“I remember that she called me and she told me that couldn’t be my friend anymore, but I could hear him in the background telling her what to say,” she said, “I think that really affected me.”
Nelson said it can be difficult to leave an abusive relationship because once victims are isolated, they begin to doubt their self worth and become fearful of what may happen if they try to leave and whether they can safely get out of the situation.
S.A.F.E House is a shelter for women and children of women who have been affected by domestic violence. They can be reached at 505-247-4219 in Albuquerque.
Enlace Communitario, specializing in women and children of women who have been affected by domestic violence, can be reached at 505-246-8972.
