In an effort to address the issues of abuse and violence in teen relationships, Vashon’s anti-domestic violence organization, The DoVE Project, will host free workshops for both middle and high schoolers next week.
The two workshops are for both girls and boys and will focus on the characteristics of unhealthy relationships and recognizing abuse. DoVE Director Betsey Archambault said the information that will be presented is relevant for teens that have not started dating as well as for those who have been or are in relationships.
“We’re concerned about the way that healthy relationships are promoted these days, as no one ever talks about what an unhealthy relationship looks like,” Archambault said. “Kids need to understand and recognize both sides of the story.”
According to a 2011 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 10 percent of high school students reported being hit, slapped or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the previous 12 months. In a study done in 2005, it was found that only about a third of teens that were involved in violent relationships ever told anyone. And in 2008, the National Council on Crime and Delinquency reported that approximately one in three adolescents in the United States is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner — a figure that far exceeds the rates of other types of youth violence.
“Educating kids early is critical,” Archambault said. “We know that teen dating abuse can start as young as 11 years old.”
Although The DoVE Project started in 2011, its programs have primarily focused on adults until now. It’s not DoVE’s intent to promote dating, Archambault explained, but the group recognizes that dating is a part of teen life. Given the statistics, she said, abuse is an issue that needs awareness, as the consequences of relationship abuse as an adolescent can be serious and long lasting.
The CDC reports that victims of teen dating violence are more likely to do poorly in school, engage in substance abuse, have suicidal ideations or attempts, engage in physical fighting and experience symptoms of depression and anxiety. They are also more likely to either continue to be victimized in college and beyond, or become a perpetrator themselves.
Both girls and boys can be victims as well as abusers, Archambault said, and the statistics are essentially the same for those in same-sex relationships as for those in heterosexual partnerships. Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence of any group, at nearly triple the national average.
The DoVE workshops will each have two adult facilitators who will use a program called Safe Dates, an evidence-based curriculum that works well for both prevention and intervention. The middle school workshop will focus on prevention, while the high school program includes both a prevention and intervention focus. The program was designed for general populations of adolescents, Archambault said, not just those at high risk, so it has a broad reach.
“We’re looking to educate everyone, not just those needing intervention,” she said. “These programs help kids learn to be active bystanders. They learn the warning signs and understand the consequences and are given the tools they need to know what to do if they think someone they know is in trouble.”
Studies have shown that the Safe Dates curriculum can reduce dating violence significantly. One such study following 14 public school populations in North Carolina found that four years after participating in the Safe Dates program, students reported 56 to 92 percent less physical and sexual dating violence than peers who had not participated in the program.
“This curriculum works for everybody — survivors, friends, potential perpetrators,” Archambault said. “If we can prevent 50 percent of this, why wouldn’t we?”
The workshops are being financially sponsored by Granny’s Attic and can be used by interested high schoolers as a jumping-off point for community service hours through peer education and outreach with DoVE.
Archambault describes the workshops as the young agency’s first foray into youth outreach but also said that she would like to hear from interested parents, too.
“Prevention work is really some of the most important work that we do,” she said. “The more people are aware, the more we’ll see the numbers come down. I’d rather be out of a job than just providing support like a Band-Aid after the fact.”
