February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
Teen dating violence can happen to anyone, from the straight A student to those who are chronically absent. It can be subtle. A teen starts feeling like their partner is trying to control them, pulling them away from their friends, refusing to trust them, convincing them to skip class, telling them who they can text, sexting them, belittling them, spreading rumors about them.
Despite its prevalence – 1 in 3 teens will experience physical, sexual or emotional abuse from their intimate partners – teens may not even recognize it as abuse. That’s why it’s so important for parents and adults to know what it looks like so they can offer support and guidance.
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and we have a lot of resources to share.
For Healthcare Providers
- Prepare your practice using a trauma-informed approach to addressing and preventing teen dating violence. Download clinical guidelines to address teen relationship abuse and the related safety card for teens available in multiple languages.
- Promote healthy relationships in school-based health care settings. Watch experts share protocols to address adolescent relationship abuse in the clinical setting.
- For adults working with high school and college age Muslim youths, check out our safety card Beyond Halal and Haram: Muslims, Sex, and Relationships.
For Teenagers
- Think about how your partner treats you. Check out Hanging Out or Hooking Up?
For Violence Prevention Advocates and Parents
- See these facts and resources around teen dating violence. What is teen dating violence and who does it affect?
- What is teen economic abuse? See what we learned by surveying 3000 13-19 year-olds and watch this conversation about how much it can affect teens.
- Listen to our Pivot podcasts focused on teen dating violence this month. In two special episodes, you can learn how to authentically engage young people on their terms; and how to connect with, serve and create safe spaces for LGBT+ teens experiencing dating violence.
- Learn about what a healthy teen relationship looks like with our safety card, Hanging Out or Hooking Up.
- Prioritize boundaries. Ask questions. Read our 16 Tips to Support Teens Who May be Experiencing Dating Violence.
- Empower teens. Learn about teen dating violence and body liberation.
- Center teen voices. Read about strategies for addressing teen dating violence.
For Coaches
- Learn about teaching boys about healthy relationships with our Coaching Boys Into Men workshops coming up in March and April. Go to Become a CBIM Advocate.
For Policy Leaders
- See these facts and resources around teen dating violence. What is teen dating violence and who does it affect?
