TDVAM- "Amor Like That"
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM) and we are asking everyone to wear something orange and promote respect and healthy relationships. The theme “Amor Like That” for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month is our take on the national theme created by love is respect Youth Council, “Love Like That.” It illuminates what “that” means regarding healthy and unhealthy relationships. We know that love is more than a feeling; no matter how you define it, it’s essential to ensure you’re on the same page with your partner about the definitions and boundaries of your relationship. Teens and young adults express their love for one another in many ways, which differ from person to person or community. All expressions of love are valid. However, the essential aspect of “Amor Like That” calls on us all to create a world of positive actions to express and show healthy love in various ways.
Dating abuse statistics:
- Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year.
- One in three girls in the US is a victim of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence.
- One in ten high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped, or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Why awareness is so important:
- Only 33% of teens in an abusive relationship ever told anyone about the abuse.
- 81% of parents believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they don’t know if it’s an issue.
- Though 82% of parents feel confident that they could recognize the signs if their child were experiencing dating abuse, most parents (58%) could not correctly identify all the warning signs of abuse.
Download Toolkit:
Sources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students—United States,2003,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, May 19, 2006, Vol. 55, No. 19.
- Davis, Antoinette, MPH. 2008. Interpersonal and Physical Dating Violence among Teens. The National Council on Crimeand Delinquency Focus. Available at http://www.nccd-crc.org/nccd/pubs/2008_focus_teen_dating_violence.pdf.
- Grunbaum JA, Kann L, Kinchen S, et al. 2004. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2003. Morbidity andMortality Weekly Report. 53(SS02); 1-96. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5302a1.htm.
- Liz Claiborne Inc., conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited, (February 2005).
- “Women’s Health,” June/July 2004, Family Violence Prevention Fund and Advocates for Youth, http://www.med.umich.edu/whp/newsletters/summer04/p03-dating.html.
- Fifth & Pacific Companies, Inc. (Liz Claiborne, Inc.), Conducted by Teen Research Unlimited, (May 2009). “Troubled Economy Linked to High Levels of Teen Dating Violence.
- https://www.loveisrespect.org/