Break the Cycle believes everyone, regardless of age or sexual orientation, should have access to the same legal protections when it comes to dating violence. These rights include seeking a protection order and accessing necessary health services. We also believe that schools play a key role in educating young people about dating violence and providing help to teens in abusive relationships.

How does your state measure up?

Each state treats teen victims of dating violence differently, but not all ways are equal. Break the Cycle conducted a nationwide review of state laws and found common trends—both positive and negative—that directly impact the protection of teens.

As you read this report, remember:

• Every state uses different terms to describe their laws. We used “protection order” because it’s the most common, but your state might call it a restraining, protection from abuse or peace order.
• State laws are very complex. We just couldn’t fit everything we wanted to on one page, so we focused on the most important points for teens.
• Many laws are not specific. We used “may” and “must” to distinguish between situations where a judge or a doctor has a choice and situations where the law gives them no leeway to make their own decisions.

If you have questions or are unsure how your state’s law affects you, you can email us at askanything@breakthecycle.org.

To learn about how state laws affect teens, you can:

Download

Download the Entire Report. Get every state’s report card and an explanation of what it all means.

Read

Read the Executive Summary. Download an overview of the full report including findings and recommendations for improving state law.

Check out your State

Download individual State Report Cards: