February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM)

From LoveIsRespect.org: The 2020 TDVAM campaign theme is “#1Thing”: "By learning one thing about teen dating violence and sharing that with a friend, every teen can make a difference. We’re starting at square one together to build healthy relationships from the ground up. By just learning or doing one thing, you can start the conversation about healthy relationships in your friend circles, schools, and communities. Everyone has a part in ending dating abuse, even if that one thing seems small in the moment. Every step towards ending dating violence is an important one!"

Hope House is available to give free presentations on healthy relationships and dating violence to teens and at parent workshops and training seminars to school staff, faith leaders, and other youth service providers. We also provide free services to teens affected by dating violence, including supportive counseling, support groups, legal help, and safety planning. Please call us at 608-356-7500 or 1-800-584-6790 to learn more. 
Teen Summit February 23-25 in Wisconsin Dells
"The Teen Summit is End Abuse’s largest annual training, bringing youth, parents, educators, activists, and mentors from all over Wisconsin to learn about healthy relationships, teen dating violence, and sexual assault within a larger anti-oppression framework." Registration is $125 and closes on February 3. Learn more here.
Here are resources to help promote teen dating violence awareness in February and throughout the year:
Picture
from Break the Cycle
Picture
from Break the Cycle
Picture
from Break the Cycle
  • LoveIsRespect.org is the go-to website for teen dating violence. They have a helpline, texting helpline, and online chat for those seeking help. They have free materials and handouts you can download, an interactive Power and Control wheel and guide to safety planning, information on why people stay, and how to help a friend. They also have a page just for TDVAM, which "will be updated with an interactive action guide for teens and adults who interact with teens, awareness activities, and more!"​
  • Break the Cycle: With their theme, Outrage Into Action, Break the Cycle has lots of great resources and activity ideas here, including a guide for National Real Talk Day on February 7, #ChalkAboutLove on February 24-28, #Orange4Love Day on February 11, and shareable graphics and PDFs.
  • One Love Foundation educates "young people about healthy and unhealthy relationships, empowering them to identify and avoid abuse and learn how to love better." Check out their videos, blog posts, and 10 Signs of a Healthy Relationship and 10 Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship that you can also download as a pdf. 
  • Room to Be Safe "is a state-wide initiative designed to educate about healthy and unhealthy relationships in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities in Wisconsin." Check out their youth section for information on healthy and unhealthy relationships, helping friends in unhealthy relationships, facts, and FAQs. 
  • ThatsNotCool.com: This website has fun quizzes, videos, games, and downloads related to the issue of teens using technology to be controlling or hurtful to their dating partner. 
  • 100 Conversations: 100 Conversations is filled with good ideas and questions to help parents, and other supportive adults, talk with young adults, age 13-24, on the following topics: boundaries and values, friends and family, relationships, sex, consent and laws, LGBTQ issues, bullying and violence, bystanders and resources, media, and technology.
  • Hope House's TDVAPM Church Bulletin Insert: Hope House has created a bulletin insert for churches to use in February.  Please let us know if you used it. For more resources on healthy relationships and dating violence for faith communities, please visit the Faith Trust Institute.
Picture
from Break the Cycle
Picture
from Break the Cycle