Social Work Corner – Domestic Violence Awareness Month – October 2025

/ Social Work, Social Work Corner, Working with Children

Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Uplifting the Voices of Unaccompanied Youth

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, a time to acknowledge and reflect on how intimate partner violence impacts individuals holistically, to offer support to survivors, and to honor those whose lives have been lost to abuse. Conversations with unaccompanied youth about domestic and dating violence can be difficult to navigate, but they can be critical to a youth’s wellbeing.

Common Challenges Unaccompanied Youth Face:

  1. Lack of Recognition of Harmful Behaviors: Youth may not recognize harmful behaviors or see violent acts as abuse. These behaviors include being controlled, isolation from family or friends, or digital harassment through text communication or social media platforms. Youth may also worry that speaking up about their situation may result in judgment of their character or dismissal of their feelings or experience.
  2. Normalization of Violence: For some unaccompanied youth domestic violence may have been normalized in their family or cultural environment, making it harder to distinguish abuse from “normal” conflict.
  3. Developmental Vulnerability: Unaccompanied youth ages 12-18 years old are in the pre-adolescent/adolescent stage where they are experiencing hormonal change and are in a stage of self-discovery. During the adolescent stage, unaccompanied youth may be more easily influenced by peers, social media, or older partners, making them more vulnerable to manipulation.
  4. Power Imbalances: Unaccompanied youth may be economically dependent on a partner or live in a situation where leaving the abusive relationship feels impossible to them. Abusers may take advantage of youth’s dependency by withholding money, housing, or resources to meet their basic needs of survival.
  5. Mistrust of Systems: Unaccompanied youth often fear deportation, discrimination, or system involvement. They may not believe that advocates/service providers will protect their confidentiality or act in their best interest.

There are many more challenges beyond those listed that unaccompanied youth may disclose once a trusting relationship has been built. Each story is unique, and some experiences may only come to light over time as the youth begins to feel safe sharing more details about their life. For unaccompanied youth who have experienced or are experiencing abuse, knowing that someone cares, will listen without judgement, and is committed to walking alongside them can make a profound difference.

Guidance and Support Advocates Can Offer: 

  • Build trust with unaccompanied youth through consistency, transparency, and confidentiality.
  • Encourage critical thinking by asking open-ended questions: “How does this behavior make you feel?”
  • Provide age-appropriate education on healthy vs. unhealthy relationship dynamics.
  • Have culturally responsive conversations that honor the youth’s cultural background.
  • Empower youth with knowledge about their rights, including legal protections in the United States for individuals who experience intimate partner violence.
  • Use storytelling or visual tools (like scenarios or role-plays) to help youth identify red flags.
  • Highlight examples of positive, respectful relationships within their cultural context.
  • Provide resources to decision-making and boundary-setting skills.
  • Connect unaccompanied youth to other professionals: social services, schools, and community non-profits. These professionals can then connect youth to community resources to help them meet their basic needs like food, clothing, safe housing and provide educational information about financial literacy.
  • Share youth-specific/national domestic violence hotlines.

Through empathy, patience, and a trauma-informed lens, you uplift the voices of unaccompanied youth. By helping them recognize abuse, access support, and feel heard as they move forward in their healing journey to build the foundation for safe, and healthy relationships in the next stage of their lives.

Check out the following CILA resources that provide additional information, including sample scripts in English and Spanish, on how to talk about abuse and domestic violence with unaccompanied youth:

 By CILA social work team