BUCYRUS — Crawford County Victim Advocate Jim Scott is pleased to announce that February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.
TDVAPM is a national effort to raise awareness about abuse in teen relationships and promote programs that prevent it during the month of February. Now is the time to educate our communities about the seriousness of teen dating violence and the frequency of this wide-spread problem.
Dating violence is more common than many people think.
“One in three teens experiences dating abuse, and I think that’s one too many.” Scott said. “The abuse can be physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, or digital, by someone that they are in a relationship with before they become an adult. These violent relationships have serious consequences for victims – putting them at higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, suicide, and carrying patterns of abuse into future relationships. Help us spread awareness and stop dating abuse before it starts!”
This year’s theme for TDVAPM is Your Love is Unique … with Consent. This theme was chosen as a reminder that each relationship has its individual traits, and everyone deserves to have their boundaries respected! TDVAPM has always been driven by young people, and this year is no exception.
The activists in Let’s Be Real, Break the Cycle’s youth movement, wanted a theme that spoke to the importance of the differences in relationships, young love, and boundaries. Members realize that your first love sets you up for the rest of your life, and it’s how you learn to define relationships. The members of Let’s Be Real want the 2019 TDVAPM theme to remind each and every one of you that your love is unique, and you deserve to have your boundaries respected. When we all come together to share our “uniqueness” we can truly learn to work together to create healthy relationships – no matter how young you are!
Teens that are in an abusive relationship usually feel confused about what to do. They fear what their partner will do if they leave, and how their friends and family will react if they tell them.
Scott encourages adults to talk with teens because they are overwhelmed with often contradictory messages about healthy relationships.
“I urge all parents, and other adults who interact with teens, to work toward ending teen dating violence by empowering young people to develop healthier relationships, assist victims in accessing the information and supportive services they need, and, perhaps most importantly, engage in discussions with family members and peers to promote awareness and prevention of the quiet epidemic of teen dating violence.”
Please join us on Tuesday, February 12, 2019, from 2:00 pm- 3:30 pm for a webinar, “That’s Not Cool: Teen Dating Violence and Healthy Relationships in the Digital Age” at the Crawford County Courthouse Administration Building, Lower Level Conference Room. This is a free webinar and open to the public. Please register by calling Jim at 419-562-9782 or by email at crawfordvictims@crawford-co.org.