Lawyers Manual - Unified Court System

Advocating for Youth in Domestic Violence Proceedings 397
young people might not want to disclose details of extreme abuse, such as a
sexual assault. Like an adult client, a teen will need advice and reminders on
avoiding situations where she might be alone with the abuser, notifying friends
and family of her whereabouts, or ensuring she carries a cell phone and money
at all times. Reluctance to tell you where she is spending time may hamper her
ability to create or conform to a safety plan. Any successful safety plan will
have to be flexible and take into account the fluidity of young people’s
relationships and lives.
Young people are more restricted by family and school ties than adults.
A teenager is likely to share the same school or community with her abuser. If
your client lives in the same building or neighborhood as her batterer, she will
benefit from advice on varying her path to school, becoming aware of safe
locations on her usual routes, and having an escape strategy in mind if she
encounters him unexpectedly.
A client who is still in school may need your assistance in speaking with
school officials. If she acquires an order of protection against a student in the
same school, advocacy will be important in helping the school administrators to
comply with the order’s provisions while they balance internal requirements
with respect to students’ rights. Whether or not the abused student has an order
of protection, with her permission you may want to speak to the school principal
or guidance counselor about changing the location of a student’s locker, altering
her class schedule, or simply alerting school safety personnel to the abusive
relationship. The school might offer the victim the opportunity to obtain a
“safety transfer,” and your assistance will be needed in helping your client
evaluate whether that solution is best for her.
Conclusion
Young victims of domestic violence can be unaware of, or unable to access,
supportive services and legal resources. They are also likely to be challenging to
engage and reluctant to pursue remedies. Because young women and girls
between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest per capita rates of intimate
violence, 18 it is all the more critical to have specialized knowledge and training
to deal with the concurrent and complicated issues raised by young clients.
The legal obstacles for young people who experience dating violence are
numerous. Cases may not be identified as domestic violence, and domestic
incident reports may not be issued. The abuser and victim may not meet the