The Tenth Anniversary of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM) is coming to an end but there is much that can  be done to address and prevent Teen Dating Violence all year long . Each year,  TDVAM provides us with an important opportunity to raise awareness and education about an issue affecting teenagers in New York State and across the nation. This month was a time to come together under the #1thing Campaign theme and talk about healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors, recognizing warning signs, connecting adolescents to support and resources and identifying innovative strategies for preventing dating abuse from happening in the first place. Break the Cycle called to turn outrage into action for social transformation and launched the #1thing campaign by " Love is Respect " and “The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence ".  New York State Domestic Violence service providers used the opportunity to start social media campaigns and utilize their platforms to mobilize their own communities.  Programs across the state such as Fearless! Hudson Valley , Oswego County Opportunities , and Grace Smith House are all programs that adopted the campaign.  

Several NYSCADV member programs also held community events, workshops and campaigns for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Willow Domestic Violence Center of Greater Rochester's #GenZero Campaign to eliminate dating violence continued for the second year. Student Activists Ending Dating Abuse (SAEDA) of the Center for Safety and Change continued their series of training and workshops in high schools. Domestic violence program of Unity House of Troy did extensive outreach to the community and will be holding a " Leap Into Healthy Relationship s" community event with its partners. Safe Center of Long Island launched the Campus Thursday program in February to engage students, faculty and staff on college campuses.,

 

We are proud of this critical work that domestic violence programs are doing across the state to raise awareness and to create change in our communities. With 1 in 3 adolescents experiencing abuse in a relationship and with teens engaging in coercive and abusive behaviors at higher rates than ever before, we are confronted with a national epidemic. As a state and in our communities, we must provide safe, open and nurturing environments for teens that may need help but also for teens who are interested in taking leadership roles in addressing the issue. If we educate our youth in the early stages of their development about healthy and respectful relationships behaviors, it can have a positive influence in their relationships, and in their safety and overall wellness, throughout their lives.

NYSCADV’s Prevention priorities for 2020 include reinvigorating a statewide community of practice around Engaging Men and Boys to address gender-based violence. In keeping with that goal we are conducting an extensive literature and program/strategy review so that we may include innovating strategies in our online Prevention Toolkit . Here is a sampling of the resources we would like to bring your attention to that specifically engage young people and/or their influencers: t:

Take A Stand for Healthy Relationships is an exciting new program from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) and Discovery Education that teaches students how to understand and build healthy relationships. New standards-aligned curriculum will encourage important skills in communication and self-awareness.