February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness month. To help bring awareness to the topic, Dial Help’s Victim Services Department has shared information to inform the community. Approximately 10 percent of teens report having been physically abused by an partner sometime during the past year. Teen girls tend to experience violence at the hands of a partner more often, and are more likely to suffer long term behavioral and health consequences, including suicide attempts, eating disorders and drug use. Teens often don’t know that they are in an abusive relationship because they often do not have the life experience to recognize what is happening. Dial Help hopes to empower victims of abusive relationships, with educational and consoling services, and providing a list of local agencies that also provide abuse victim services. You can find Dial Help’s full list of local services and more information for victims of dating violence.  

Find information provided by Dial Help’s Victim Services Department below:

One recommended resource is www.loveisrespect.org. Here, teens can learn about dating, healthy and unhealthy relationship behavior, and even take a quiz to determine if their relationship is potentially abusive. There is information for friends and family concerned about a loved one, resources specifically for Tribal members, and a hotline with text and chat options for additional support.

The Houghton/Keweenaw Communities That Care coalition is also sharing information for TDVAM. HKCTC is a group of community members working to prevent youth substance use, depression, delinquency, and more. They are collaborating with Dial Help and members of local Teen Outreach Program (TOP) after-school clubs to create signs and social media posts to spread the word about teen dating violence.

“Although the CTC doesn’t specifically focus on dating violence, we still want to address it this month,” said Callisto Cortez, HKCTC Coordinator. “We think anything that impacts youth is important to talk about, and dating violence in teen relationships is something that often gets overlooked in discussions about domestic violence and abuse. Abuse thrives in silence, and education is a key part of breaking that silence.”

Teens who are experiencing dating violence can contact:

· Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home (Houghton County): 906-337-5623

· Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home (Ontonagon County): 906-884-4004

· Baraga Shelter Home: 906-524-7078

· Dial Help: 906-482-HELP, or text 906-35NEEDS, or chat online

· Love Is Respect Hotline: 866-331-9474, or text LOVE to 22522, or chat online

· National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233

Dial Help’s Victim Services is funded by the Division of Victim Services, and their website is www.dialhelp.org. HKCTC is funded by NorthCare Network, Prevention Network, Portage Health Foundation, and Superior Health Foundation, and their website is www.houghtonkeweenawctc.com