Understanding the Consequences of Dating Abuse for College Students – Mental Health & Academic Impact

1 in 5 college students report dating violence by a current partner. 

Because college is such a key time in a person’s life, experiencing dating abuse during these years can expose students to a unique set of long-term effects, especially when it comes to their academic performance and mental health. The impact of intimate partner violence extends far beyond the immediate abuse or the time in which the abuse takes place, affecting a person’s economic situation, physical well-being, and overall quality of life. Academic performance and mental health are far from the only areas impacted by intimate partner violence, and survivors may experience the effects to a greater or lesser extent or simply differently from one another. Before taking a look at the mental health and academic impacts of intimate partner violence, it’s important to remember that behind all the facts and explanations there are real people with real stories and experiences – people that you know and walk past on campus or sit next to in class or maybe even consider a close friend. 

Impact on Mental Health 

Intimate partner violence is commonly associated with depression; however, this is far from the only effect of abuse. Other mental health effects include PTSD, anxiety, negative self-perceptions, eating disorders, suicidal behavior, and other serious mental illnesses. It’s common that many of these issues occur simultaneously, not only interacting with one another to exacerbate negative effects, but interacting with factors specific to the college environment which further harm the student.  

College students are already a high-risk population when it comes to mental health conditions. Recent studies not only show that rates of anxiety and depression on university campuses are at an all time high, but reveal alarming numbers of students contemplating suicide. While various factors contribute to these conditions, abusive relationships undoubtedly worsen symptoms and may push a student over the edge. 

Academic expectations, social situations, and financial obligations all put high pressure on college students. Increased exposure to substance use and abuse serve to worsen effects. When these factors combine with intimate partner violence they result in dire consequences for students’ health. This applies to students of all ages and backgrounds. Freshmen, who have just entered a time of transition and are learning to navigate a new environment apart from their families, are at particular risk. Seniors, who are contemplating life after college and trying to find jobs, may also experience increased mental health issues. International students are at an even higher risk, having to adapt to an entirely new culture both socially and academically, oftentimes having to learn material in a language that is foreign to them. Adding to all this is the fact that college students tend to minimize their mental health conditions and stress levels, figuring that because it is so common among their peers it is not a big deal. Thus, students are less likely to seek help for these issues, enabling harmful conditions to worsen over time.  

Identity 

College is a time when many students are discovering and solidifying their identity. When that time of their life is marked by an abusive relationship, their identity may be permanently scarred or otherwise negatively shaped by the experience, influencing their view of themself, others, and the world around them for years to come.  

Those who live in more tight-knit communities, like smaller college campuses or sorority houses, may be particularly impacted, as they are left more vulnerable to the effects of relational abuse. Relational abuse occurs when an abuser cuts off the victim from social support or contacts. This kind of abuse isolates a victim, leading them to “believe that [they are] unlikeable, unattractive, and unappealing to others as a friend or dating partner.” Other forms of abuse may have similar effects. One study showed that women who had experienced intimate partner violence in their adolescent years were still significantly impacted by it a decade after it had stopped. Besides feeling “numb,” “broke down,” and like they were “never the same” after the abuse, they “indicated that mental health issues—such as a sense of not feeling ‘one piece,’ feeling unsafe, fearful, or suspicious even in new relationships—plagued them as adults.” 

Dating abuse in college not only influences what you believe about yourself, but what you believe about relationships going forward. This increases the possibility that the cycle of abuse will repeat itself. If a student has never had a healthy dating relationship in the past, they may come to accept the abuse as a normal part of a relationship and expect or even look for it in future relationships. This is just one of many dangerous cycles that arise from intimate partner violence on college campuses.  

A Dangerous Loop 

Another dangerous cycle that comes with intimate partner violence exists between abuse and depression. Dating abuse puts students at a higher risk of experiencing depression, meanwhile depression puts students at a higher risk of experiencing dating abuse. And this cycle pertains to students regardless of whether they have underlying mental health issues: abuse has been shown to contribute to new mental health conditions for those who don’t already have them and to worsen conditions in those who do. It may not be so shocking then that the same age range, 18-24, most commonly experiencing intimate partner violence also most commonly experiences depression, revealing yet another reason why college-age students are particularly vulnerable to dating abuse. 

Impact on Academics 

Just as it impacts mental health, dating abuse can have both immediate and long-term effects on a student’s academics. In many cases, abuse influences academics through the mental health issues it causes. In other cases, the abuse has a more direct impact.  

Immediate Impact 

Abusers can assert power and control in a number of ways – for students, this may mean interfering with school. An abuser may prevent their partner from completing school work, making it to class, or joining certain clubs. If someone is attempting to leave an abusive relationship, they may have to spend considerable time finding a place to stay where their abuser cannot locate them or take other measures to ensure their safety. They may also have to attend court dates related to the abuse or speak with a legal representative during school hours. These all take time away from the student – preventing them from studying, making it to class, or participating in school activities. 

As if this weren’t enough, intimate partner violence also impacts academics through the emotional distress and other mental health issues it causes. Depression, which we know to be strongly associated with intimate partner violence, can have a detrimental effect on students’ academic performance and engagement, leading them to miss assignments, exams, and classes, and drop courses at a higher rate. Studies also show that intimate partner violence leads to greater absenteeism, lower grades, and a higher risk of dropping out of college altogether. Physical abuse was shown to have a particularly direct and negative impact on women’s GPAs. Additionally, “students who experienced physical/verbal abuse by a partner or an incident of sexual violence during their first year were more likely to leave their university.” While not all students experiencing dating abuse will drop out, most of them at least report that verbal abuse disrupted their “studying and ability to do schoolwork.”  

Long-term Impact 

College is a major predictor of future life experiences, meaning a disruption at this stage of life could result in considerable life-long damage. Dating abuse can impact college GPA, which has been proven a “key factor for a student’s trajectory after college.” And when dating abuse starts to impede a student from graduating or leads them to drop out altogether, the damage is even worse.  

Having a college degree has become a powerful “social marker,” helping determine future opportunities, economic status, health, and life expectancy. The mortality gap between those with and without a college degree is marked and continues to increase, with college degree holders living 8.5 years longer than those without degrees. A degree also predicts socioeconomic status, which in turn helps predict health and quality of life. Thus, when an abuser interferes with their partner’s ability to attain a degree or a good GPA, they are interfering with their partner’s future. 

Abuse that results in college drop-out directly affects a woman’s income: “When compared with women with less than a high school education, women’s earnings increased by…181% with a college degree.” Having access to economic resources is particularly important for female survivors, as it may increase opportunities and self-sufficiency while decreasing the probability that she will become dependent on an abusive partner in the long run.” 

Wagatwe Wanjuki, a survivor of intimate partner violence in college, openly talks about the long-term impact of her abusive relationship. Because of her abuse, she could not graduate on time and spent an entire decade of her life as a college student. Although she did eventually graduate from college, she still had over $80,000 in student debt. Wanjuki reflects on how her life might have been different if the abuse hadn’t happened: “The delay in graduation, my poor credit, and the pressure of paying back a high amount of debt shape an adult life experience that is vastly different from the one I'd have if I had graduated on time… Even though my relationship is long over, I will likely have to deal with the ramifications of it for the rest of my life.” Unfortunately, Wanjuki is not alone in her experience.  

When it comes to dating abuse in college, students may have drastically different experiences. Some may be with their partner for just a month while others may remain with them for years and ultimately drop out of school. Yet, it’s worth pointing out that either side of the spectrum results in serious damage. At best, a survivor of intimate partner violence in college will suffer dropping grades, disengagement from campus activities and socialization, mental health issues, and an overall decreased quality of experience in college. At worst, they will be forced to drop out of school, will never attain a college degree, and will suffer emotionally, economically, and physically for the remainder of their life.  

Neither of these is acceptable and both are preventable. By educating yourself and others on intimate partner violence, you can help create campus communities where students are able to learn and thrive in a safe and supportive environment.  

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Harmony House

The mission of Harmony House is to provide shelter, advocacy and education to survivors of domestic violence and promote the principle that all individuals have the right to life free of abuse.

Since 1976, our emergency shelter and supportive outreach case management programs have offered individuals and their children the opportunity to rest and heal both emotionally and physically in a supportive environment. We believe you. You are not alone and we can help!

If you or someone you know is living in an abusive situation, call 417–864-SAFE (7233) to speak with an advocate.

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