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Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
by San Diego Youth Services Staff
Dating abuse is a pattern of destructive behaviors that exerts power and control over a dating partner. In the US, one in three teens experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse by someone they are in a relationship with, according to loveisrespect.org.
Common red flags of teen dating violence: a partner checking the other's social media, requiring their partner to share passwords, controlling who a partner talks to, or what they post on social media. Dating abuse is about the abuser having power and control over their partner.
At San Diego Youth Services, we aim to fight against teen dating violence by providing resources and services both at the prevention and intervention level. Our prevention work includes educating youth and caregivers about the warning signs and vulnerabilities of teens, as well as providing trainings to different organizations in the community. Our intervention work includes providing therapeutic and case management services to address the mental health needs of those affected by teen dating violence and to increase their overall wellbeing by accessing basic needs like housing, medical care, and social support networks.
Visit the following website to find statistics, prevention tools, posters, and more:
Love is Respect - a project of the National Domestic Violence Hotline which offers 24/7 information, support, and advocacy for youth ages 13-26 years old.