An advocate who works at a domestic violence service provider in Central California shared this story that shows the connection between dating abuse and truancy: 

A female high school student sought counseling from our agency after her ex-boyfriend yelled at her and ripped her jacket off of her during lunch after she broke up with him. She stopped going to school after this incident because she was afraid of him. 

We were able to help a truancy officer understand the reasons behind her school absence. She had several classes with her ex-boyfriend, and sadly, she didn’t feel she had any support or options at school. 

If the school had a policy in place, she would have known that the school would not tolerate dating abuse on campus. She would have known that there are people on campus who would take action to prevent future incidents and help keep her feel safe at school.