February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month
Domestic violence is a serious and prevalent crime within our society. Far too many young people experience teen dating violence and its myriad forms of control and abuse, which, sadly, can continue into adulthood, with the potential to destroy individual lives and entire families.
Teen dating violence can involve physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, economic, or other abusive behavior including harassment via texting, email or instant messaging committed by a person intending to harm, threaten, intimidate, harass, control, isolate, or monitor another person with whom they have or have had a dating relationship. This is a reality for many teenagers, one of which many parents and guardians are unaware.
National studies and surveys indicate that among women who have ever experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner, more than 1 in 5 women experienced some form of intimate partner violence for the first time between the ages of 11 and 17 years, and nearly half were between 18 and 24 years of age when they first experienced violence by an intimate partner.
New York State has focused on the teen dating violence with the development of a teen-focused dating abuse and healthy relationships website: respectlove.opdv.ny.gov.
OCFS is joining in observing Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month by encouraging youth, families, schools, law enforcement communities, government agencies, elected officials, civic organizations and other interested groups to show support for organizations and individuals that provide critical advocacy to victims and promote public awareness of teen dating violence.