Help prevent teen dating violence. Remember:

1. Dating abuse happens to 1 in 3 teens – males, females, all races, cultures, sexual orientations, religions, etc.

2. Abuse is not only physical; it can be verbal, emotional, digital or sexual. It often sounds like love at first, but it is about power and control: "You are mine."

3. Jealousy is not love. In love you have trust – jealousy leads to controlling behaviors.

4. People stay in abusive relationships because they do love the good in the person, they feel they are to blame for the abuse, they hope things will get better, they may be ashamed they 'let' someone treat them this way, they feel alone and that no one would believe them, and they may be afraid of leaving. Leaving is the most dangerous time because the partner is losing the power and control over them.

5. It is everyone's duty to reach out and help. We all need to support survivors, even if they are staying in the relationship. Don't give up on someone. They need someone to say, "I am worried about you. I care about you. You don't deserve to be treated this way. I will be here for you." Don't tell them what they should do; offer choices. They will leave when they are ready.

Special thanks to Michelle Jewett, Prevention Educator at SafeHouse of Seminole (an emergency residential shelter for women and their children fleeing domestic violence in their home) for this important information. 

You can make a difference

SafeHouse has started a new site just for teens: Bystanders Rising Above Violence Everywhere. B.R.A.V.E. empowers youth to rise up against relationship abuse in their lives and in their communities. Click the link or visit www.WeRBrave.com to learn how teens can take action.

The Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence offers a Youth Activist Prevention Toolkit. It provides ideas for you to educate others about teen dating abuse and how to take action in your community and school. The booklet offers step-by-step instructions and ideas. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for your toolkit.

Check out these additional teen dating violence resources:

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Project at Live Your Dream.org – an online community empowering offline action, helping women and girls to live their dreams. Also on the site: a White Paper  and Prevention Tips.

Learn how to promote healthy relationships at LoveIsRespect.org and download the National Youth Advisory Board Respect Week 2015 Guide. Special thanks to this site for use of their graphics on our home page slide.