February is Teen Dating Violence Prevention & Awareness Month  

This February marks the 15th anniversary of Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month (TDVAM), a nationwide effort to spotlight an issue that affects one in three teens in the United States. TDVAM is more than just a time of reflection—it's a call to action for individuals, schools, and communities to come together to support prevention efforts and empower young people to build healthy relationships.

Teen dating violence is a serious issue that impacts adolescents' physical, emotional, and mental well-being. TDVAM focuses on primary prevention, aiming to stop dating violence before it starts by fostering safe, respectful, and nurturing relationships.

Why TDVAM Matters

TDVAM isn’t just about recognizing the problem—it’s about taking action to prevent it. This national initiative emphasizes:

• Education: Raising awareness about teen dating violence and how to recognize its warning signs.
• Advocacy: Promoting open conversations about what healthy and unhealthy relationships look like.
• Empowerment: Equipping teens and adults alike with the tools and knowledge to foster respectful, consent-driven relationships.

When communities, schools, and organizations collaborate during TDVAM, they create spaces where teens feel safe to share their experiences, seek help, and learn. These conversations aren’t just reactive—they’re proactive steps toward building a culture that rejects dating violence and celebrates respect, communication, and equality.

How You Can Make a Difference

TDVAM is an opportunity for all of us to take a stand and be part of the solution. Here’s how you can contribute this February:

• Spread Awareness: Use social media, school announcements, or community events to share facts about teen dating violence.
• Start Conversations: Talk to the teens in your life about the importance of healthy relationships and mutual respect.
• Engage with Your Community: Host workshops, discussions, or activities that teach relationship skills and promote consent.
• Support Survivors: Share resources and provide a safe space for teens to open up if they’re experiencing abuse.

By instilling values like respect, communication, and empathy, we can create a society where every teenager feels empowered to build positive, healthy relationships.

As we commemorate Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, let’s make a commitment to educate, advocate, and act. Together, we can create a future where dating violence is no longer part of the teen experience—a future where every teen knows their worth and feels supported in cultivating healthy relationships.

Let’s unite this February and beyond to ensure that our youth thrive in relationships built on trust, kindness, and equality.

Upcoming TDVAM Events:

Instagram Live on @loveisrespectofficial (2/, 5 PM ET): AI and Deepfakes: Impact on Teens and Young Adults Relationships.

Respect Week (2/10 – 2/14): Join the nationwide Respect Week to actively engage in discussions and activities emphasizing respect's significance in relationships. This initiative encourages everyone to foster an environment where mutual respect is a cornerstone of all interactions.

Wear Orange Day (2/11): An annual tradition during TDVAM, Wear Orange Day aims to raise awareness about dating violence. By sharing pictures on social media platforms with the hashtag #HealthyRelationships, participants contribute to spreading the message that everyone deserves a healthy and violence-free relationship.

Resources:

Know Your Worth Campaign: The New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) has introduced the "Know Your Worth" companion campaign to support DV programs across New York State. This initiative includes a toolkit with graphics and text that can be utilized througho ut the month to enhance awareness and understanding.

Love is Respect is a project of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Which annually develops a social media guide, action guide, and materials to participate in Love is Respect Week.

This year Love is Respect’s theme is Respect That, a powerful concept that can transform relationships. Respecting someone isn’t just a vague idea; it’s action and a mindset. We want to highlight the importance of treating partners with dignity, listening to their viewpoints, respecting their boundaries, and valuing their autonomy by focusing on ‘respect’. Check out the resources they are sharing associated with this theme and consider how you can use them in your own communities.

Reflections on the 2024 NYSCADV Primary Prevention Summit  

NYSCADV hosted its 10th Annual Primary Prevention Summit in Schenectady, NY, bringing together advocates, educators, and preventionists from across the state. This multi-day event highlighted innovative strategies and promising practices for preventing gender-based violence and fostering safer communities. 

Day 1 Highlights: Setting the Stage for Prevention 

The Summit began with opening remarks from NYSCADV’s Executive Director, Connie Neal, and Director of Prevention, Lorien Castelle, emphasizing the transformative power of primary prevention in stopping violence before it starts. 

Lorien Castelle and consultant Rus Funk presented a foundational session introducing NYSCADV’s primary prevention toolkit. They explored frameworks for mobilizing men in gender-based violence prevention and strategies for integrating prevention principles into practice. 

Day 2 Highlights: Partnerships and Progress 

Day 2 opened with remarks from our event funders, Bill Schaefer of the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and Rachel Wilson from the NYS Department of Health, who underscored the importance of funding and partnerships in advancing prevention initiatives. 

The day featured impactful plenary sessions and workshops led by national thought leaders, local providers, and community partners: 

 Plenary Sessions 

- Advancing Prevention through a Health Equity Lens 

 Presenter: Virginia Duplessis, Associate Director of Health at Futures Without Violence 

 Virginia explored how systems of oppression exacerbate health disparities and proposed a health equity framework to guide gender-based violence prevention efforts. This session emphasized the need to address structural inequities to ensure survivor well-being and self-determination. 

- Roots, Equity, and Liberation: Unpacking the Layers to Create Thriving Communities 

 Presenter: Arlene Vassell, Founding Director of TooREL Institute for Social Change 

 Arlene’s session challenged participants to confront personal and systemic biases, offering strategies to disrupt inequitable power structures and foster inclusive, thriving communities. 

- Looking Back, Moving Forward: A Celebration of Progress in IPV Prevention 

 Presenter: Ashleigh Klein-Jimenez, MPA, Director of Prevention at ValorUS 

 Ashleigh celebrated decades of progress in intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention, reflecting on lessons learned and energizing participants for future advancements. 

 Workshops 

Attendees chose from diverse workshops that covered emerging topics and practical strategies, including: 

- Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence (Parts 1 & 2) 

 Presenter: Sloan Thompson, EndTAB 

 Explored the evolving landscape of online abuse, from nonconsensual image sharing to AI-driven harms, and strategies to prevent and address these challenges. 

- Partnering to Provide Safety and Support for Teens 

 Presenters: Courtney Hyland & Vimarsha Sital, The Retreat 

 Focused on promoting healthy relationships among teens through engaging tools and community-driven strategies. 

- Impact of Viewing Pornography: Implications for Preventing Gender-Based Violence 

 Presenter: Rus Funk, MSW, CSE 

 Addressed how mainstream pornography shapes harmful perceptions and behaviors and offered strategies to engage men in preventing gender-based violence. 

- RACK: Exploring Healthy Kink Dynamics 

 Presenter: Sara Miller-Hornick aka Miss Couple 

 Introduced participants to frameworks for distinguishing consensual kink from abuse, with tools to assess power dynamics and ensure safety. 

- Integrating Health Advocacy into Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs 

 Presenter: Virginia Duplessis, Futures Without Violence 

 Provided actionable tools for embedding health equity principles into survivor advocacy and program design. 

- Innovative Strategies for Preventing Intimate Partner Violence 

 Presenter: Ashleigh Klein-Jimenez, ValorUS 

 Highlighted practical approaches to IPV prevention that intersect with social justice movements, including economic and reproductive justice. 

- Roots, Equity & Liberation: Strategies for Fostering Thriving Communities 

 Presenter: Arlene Vassell, TooREL Institute for Social Change 

 This interactive workshop extended the conversation on racial equity, offering tools for creating safe, inclusive environments. 

A Shared Vision for Prevention 

We are grateful to all presenters, attendees, and our state partners, including the NYS Department of Health and DCJS, for their invaluable contributions. Together, we advanced the conversation on primary prevention and reaffirmed our collective commitment to creating a safer, healthier future for all. 

This Summit showcased the power of collaboration and innovation, laying a strong foundation for progress in preventing violence and promoting equity across New York State.

Acknowledgment of Funders 

Support for the 2024 Prevention Summit is made possible by a grant from the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services which administers funds from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women OVW STOP Formula Grant Program (15JOVW-23-GG-00593-STOP); and by funding from Health Research Inc. (HRI) and New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), Division of Family Health by Cooperative Agreement Number, 6 NUF2CE002560, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HRI, NYSDOH, CDC or the Department of Health and Human Services.

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Because We're Dads

The NYS Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) recognizes the impact fathers and father figures have on promoting women's rights, gender equality, and healthy relationships. Fathers play a significant role in the lives of their children and have the opportunity to influence attitudes and behaviors that support healthy and equitable relationships premised on respect, consent and nonviolence. To highlight the impact that fathers and father figures have on our lives NYSCADV, in collaboration with Rus Funk who has been working for more than 20 years on efforts to engage and mobilize men and boys is pleased to present Because We’re Dads: Reaching and Mobilizing Fathers to Promote Gender Equality.