Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM) is held each February. At Hopeful Horizons we have partnered with CAPA of Beaufort, and together we formed the Abuse Prevention Coalition (APC).
As members of the APC, we wear our Orange ribbons, and wrist bands in effort to bring teens and their supporters together and raise awareness on the prevalence of intimate partner violence. While we are all aware of the major risks involved with being in an abusive relationship, it is our purpose to make it known that dating violence can happen to anyone, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation or class, and is not limited to physical abuse.
Intimate partner violence can also be emotionally, mentally, verbally, sexually, financially or digitally abusive. Studies have concluded that adults who resort to violent behavior in their intimate or domestic relationships have witnessed violent events and began to develop these patterns during their adolescent years, typically around age 15.
Teen dating violence is very common and yet many individuals are still unaware of how often teens are abused in intimate relationships.
1 in 3 teens in the U.S. will experience physical, sexual or emotional abuse by someone they are in a relationship with before they become adults.
1.5 million high school teens experience physical abuse from a dating partner annually.
15% of all violent crime is Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). That includes both domestic and dating violence.
30% of young girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are murdered each year by their dating partner
Adolescents apart of the LGBTQ+ community are victims of physical and psychological dating abuse as often as heterosexual adolescents.
We encourage everyone to get involved and help raise awareness as we recognize the power that each one of us have in making our voices heard.
Hashtag One Thing is a campaign by Love is Respect designed for individuals to learn one thing about teen dating violence, and share that with a friend or loved one. It may seem like such a small effort but sparking the conversation for some individuals makes all the difference. The more collaborative efforts we have, the higher our chances of decreasing, and eventually putting an end to teen dating abuse.
When February ends, we will continue to take a stand against teen dating violence and spread awareness. Join us by utilizing the following hashtags in taking a stand, and starting the conversation:
#1Thing #TeenDatingViolenceAwarenessMonth #TeenDating #IntimatePartnerViolence #TDVAM #DomesticViolence #LoveIsRespect #TeenDVMonth
