2/4 Dating Teen Violence Month
Arrowhead’s Girl Up Club raised awareness this February for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVM). Jennifer Passler, an Arrowhead English teacher, and the Girl Up Club advisor is promoting awareness through flyers, slides and asking staff to incorporate it into daily announcements.
Girl Up is a United Nations sponsored organization that works to fight gender discrimination all over the world. For more information Arrowhead’s Girl Up and Girl Up Compagin’s Instagram accounts unites girls to change the world.
Through the website https://www.loveisrespect.org/ Arrowhead’s Girl Up club has been able to bring TDVM into light. By bringing awareness through TDVM flyers in private stalls it makes it more accessible for individuals to find information in a private setting. Incorporating slides in the study hall rooms brings attention to the larger public.
Madeline Dohogne, a Senior in Girl Up said, “The main goal of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month is to take away the stigma surrounding domestic violence by talking about it and bringing awareness to it. It’s so important that we recognize the signs of domestic violence in relationships and learn that it’s okay to ask for help. It’s also important for all of us to learn how we can support others who are in these situations, and how to provide a safe space and resources for those in need. At Arrowhead, awareness was brought by writing on the whiteboards around school, putting up posters with information around school, and having an awareness campaign presentation on domestic violence at North Campus.”
Some resources for help with domestic violence/TDVM:
– National Domestic Violence Hotline https://www.thehotline.org/
– National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) https://ncadv.org/
– End Domestic Abuse https://www.endabusewi.org/
Passler said, “We want people to start conversations – with themselves and with each other about what constitutes healthy relationships, to be able to identify warning signs for unhealthy relationships. If you wouldn’t want a loved one to have a similar experience or feel the way you do, IT’S NOT OKAY. Abuse is never your fault, and asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of.”
Girl Up planned an information presentation in light to focus on teen dating violence and the development of healthy relationships.
Additional information:
National 24/7 Crisis Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
National Teen Dating Violence Helpline: 1-866-331-9474
