Teens Against Dating Violence Awareness Education

Lip Gloss for Love is dedicated to providing dating education for teens throughout the year, even beyond National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, which is in February. We recognize that dating violence among teens is on the rise and often goes unreported. Over the past nine years, Lip Gloss for Love has provided healthy relationship education to more than 50,000 tweens, teens, and youth in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex. Our statistics reveal that many teenagers are unaware of the severity of dating violence and unhealthy relationships. Through our program, we engage teens in practical learning to help them recognize and report dating violence, ensuring their safety. Our participants have the opportunity to become Teens Against Dating Violence Advocates in their schools, communities, churches, and families. Lip Gloss for Love collaborates with schools, youth and teen programs, churches, and other non-profit organizations to make certain that teens are educated about staying safe in relationships.

Four types of behavior:

• Physical violence
• Sexual violence
• Psychological suggestion
• Stalking

Dating violence can take place in person or electronically, such as repeated texting or posting sexual pictures of a partner online without consent.

Teens often think some behaviors, like teasing and name-calling, are a "normal" part of a relationship - but these behaviors can become abusive and develop into severe forms of violence.

• Nearly 1 in 11 female and approximately 1 in 15 male high school students report having experienced physical dating violence in the last year.
• About 1 in 9 female and 1 in 36 male high school students report having experienced sexual dating violence in the last year.
• 26% of women and 15% of men who were victims of contact sexual violence, physical violence, and stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime first experienced these or other forms of violence by that partner before the age of 18

The consequences of unhealthy teen dating are:

• Experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Engaging in unhealthy behaviors, such as tobacco, drug, and alcohol abuse.
• Exhibiting antisocial behaviors, such as lying, theft, bullying, or hitting.
• Suicide ideation

Ways to Prevent:

• Teach safe and healthy relationship skills
• Engage influential adults and peers
• Disrupt the development pathways toward partner violence.
• Create protective environments.
• Strengthen economic support for families.
• Support survivors to increase safety and lessen harm.

More information on IPV and teen dating violence can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/datasources/nisvs/summaryreports.html