Teen Dating Violence Awareness

The month of February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. This month provides an opportunity for prevention and healing for teen victims of violent relationships. 

According to the Domestic Violence Awareness Project, approximately 1.5 million high school students in the United States experience physical abuse from a dating partner. One-quarter of parents don’t talk to their teens about domestic violence. February is a reminder to teens to take a look into their relationships and assess the situations they are in. This is also a great time for parents to discuss this tough subject with their children. This is a crucial conversation to have with teens as many of them do not understand the actions that can be considered toxic in relationships. Toxic traits in a relationship can be different types of abuse; physical, psychological, and sexual. 

This month is a great time to evaluate what more you can be doing to prevent Teen Dating Violence. Some examples of things you can do are:

• Organize an awareness event
• Further educate yourself
  • Read some books on the topic
  • Check out webinars online
  • Find social influencers that speak out on this topic
• Invite speakers to a school you are involved in or near you

If you are a teacher or feel comfortable mentioning this to a teacher you know, encourage schools to hold classroom discussions talking about how to prevent dating violence. Make sure your children are mature enough to date and prepared to get themselves out of a dangerous situation in case one presents itself.

National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline

If you or someone you know has been the victim of dating violence, free and confidential help is available 24 hours a day through the National Dating Abuse Helpline. Click Here