#ALoveLikeThat — Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men who experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner first experienced some form of partner violence between the ages of 11 — 17 years old.

Hope House is here to provide free and confidential services to teens who have been hurt and controlled by their partners. We also provide presentations and awareness activities to teens on healthy and unhealthy relationships. We frequently share the national resource, www.LoveIsRespect.org.

Love Is Respect’s theme for this month is #LoveLikeThat. A love like “that” may look different for each person, so we’ll be engaging teens in conversations around what “that” means to them. We let teens know they deserve a love that helps them feel safe, respected, supported, and valued. Please join us this month and beyond in talking to the teens in your life about healthy relationships — we all deserve a love like that.

If you or someone you know has experienced abuse from a partner, you are not alone. Hope House’s 24-hour, confidential helpline is 1–800–584–6790. Learn more at www.HopeHouseSCW.org.

- Jess Kaehny, Community Education Program Manager, Hope House