Teen Dating Abuse Awareness Month
By Laura Varelas Arroyo
February is Teen Dating Abuse Awareness Month and there has never been a more critical time to prevent and address this pervasive issue. 1 in 3 teens in the United States are reporting that they are experiencing at least one form of abuse, whether it be emotional, verbal, sexual, technological, or physical, before they become adults-and that’s just what we know. Several young teen girls have been murdered by their partners across the country, including here in New Jersey. Studies show that young people who are abused in their dating relationship will experience things like depression, suicidal ideation, lack of self-esteem, body image issues, and may never know what a healthy, trusting relationship looks like for the remainder of their lives.
The PowerBack program at APFC seeks to change all that. We work in high schools across the state of New Jersey to provide teens with the tools to identify abusive relationships and early warning signs, how to help friends in abusive relationships, resources, and how to safely leave an abusive relationship. Last school year alone, we provided over 2000 teens with information about dating abuse. I can say from first-hand experience that when a teen finally understands that abusive or controlling behavior in their relationship isn’t normal, their perception of themselves and dating completely changes. The pressure that teens face from social media, television, movies, and even cultural norms to have a “perfect relationship” teaches them that if someone is jealous, that means they love you and that you must do things you don’t want to do to make your partner happy. PowerBack empowers teens to challenge these norms that have been engrained in them over the years.
It’s on us as the adults to teach teens that love is not abuse and model healthy relationships at home with our own partners. If this is something that may be hard for you, imagine how hard it might be for a teenager. Let the teens in your life know that you are always a safe person they can go to. The PowerBack team and the rest of the staff at APFC are here to help too. If you are interested in scheduling a forum with us, contact us at powerback@apartnershipforchange.org.