February is Teen Dating Violence Month


People think February and thoughts typically turn to love, roses, candy.... Valentine's Day.

But February is also Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and in a time with thought are turned to romance I can think of nothing more appropriate then bringing awareness to the dangers that 1 in 5 teens are experiencing in the name of young love. According to the organization Love is not abuse, 1 in 5 teens in a serious relationship have experienced some sort of abuse at the hands of their partners and teens who have witnessed domestic violence & abuse between their parents experience abuse at a 50% higher rate than those who have not.

As a parent have you discussed this with your kids? No? then check out the FREE Parent's Guide to Teen Dating Violence at: http://www.loveisnotabuse.com/made

Do you know the signs to watch for? Here is a short list of signs and symptoms to watch for from Love is not abuse.:

· Apologizes and/or makes excuses for his/her partner's behavior.
· Loses interest in activities that he/she used to enjoy.
· Stops seeing friends and family members and becomes more and more isolated.
· Casually mentions the partner's violent behavior, but laughs it off as a joke.
· Often has unexplained injuries or the explanations often don't make sense.
· no longer hanging out with his/her circle of friends
· wearing the same clothing
· distracted when spoken to
· constantly checking cell phone, gets extremely upset when asked to turn phone off
· withdrawn, quieter than usual
· angry, irritable when asked how they are doing
· showering immediately after getting home
· unexplained scratches or bruises


Do you know where to turn if you suspect your teen is in an unhealthily relationship?


For immediate assistance or to talk to a trained advocate if you think your teen is in an abusive relationship:
Call the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline 24 hours a day at 1-866-331-9474 or contact your local school guidance counselor or rape and abuse crisis center.


85% of teens are afraid to talk to their parents about their relationships... this conversation has to start with you. What better time then now to arm yourself, protect your teen and start a conversation.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Talking Sexting with your Kids

Image
You MUST Talk about Sexting with Your Kids by Lori Getz Monday, February 8, 2010 from http://www.momlogic.com/ A recent momlogic survey uncovered some interesting yet not surprising results: Teens are sexting, and parents didn't have a clue. The results are astounding! A full 44% of teens said they have been involved in a sexting incident (either as the sender or the recipient of the image). However, less than a quarter of their parents knew about the situation prior to taking the momlogic challenge ! The majority of teens surveyed believe that sexting is just part of being a teenager. One teen (in a separate interview) went so far as to call it a "rite of passage." Overall, teens do not see sexting as a big deal or as having long-term consequences. Of those teens who admitted to sexting , only 38 percent reported knowing that sexting could lead to becoming a registered sex offenders, and only 1 in 5 teens believe that sexting is being sexually active! "It's pre...
Read more

Relavent Redbook Articles

Image
Check out these VERY relavent and eye opening article from Redbook magazine Invisible Violence By Whitney Joiner Domestic abuse isn't only about broken limbs and bruises. Many women suffer from daily belittling, verbal assault, and emotional battery that are every bit as damaging — and equally unacceptable. You May Think Domestic Violence Has Nothing to Do with You By Liz Welch That's exactly what these four people thought — until the day they found out someone close to them was being abused. The fact is, one in three Americans knows someone who has been in a violent relationship within the last year -- what they choose to do with that knowledge could help bring this epidemic to an end. Yes, You Can Stop Violence Against Women By Rebecca Davis It's unanimous: We all want violence against women to stop. In fact, nine out of 10 women said that ending domestic violence and sexual assault should be the top priority for a new women's movement (according to the Center for the...
Read more

Dating Violence..... My story

Image
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month and this is my story of survival....... He was 6’2 and looked like he belonged on the walls of Abercrombie and Fitch with his wavy espresso colored hair, milk chocolate eyes, and rock-hard abs. He was affectionate, funny, smart, quick-witted, and dating me! For two years I was part of the “perfect high school couple.” You know, the kind they use to sell shampoo, teeth whitening strips, zit cream--anything that will make life as a teen better than it, supposedly, already is. The truth, however, was far different than the picture we were selling. In reality, my picture-perfect boyfriend was mean, demanding, abusive, and no one knew. Not even me, at least not until years later when I learned what dating violence was. Dating violence, or relationship abuse, is defined as a pattern of abusive behavior used against a girlfriend or boyfriend. It can be physical, such as hitting or kicking, verbal or emotional, including constant...
Read more