Teen Dating Violence

• "Teen Dating Violence: Take it Seriously before it Happens Again" from Ms. Magazine : Last week, the Boston area was shocked to hear that the body of Wayland, Mass., high-school graduate Lauren Astley, 18, was found in a marsh in what looks to be an act of teen domestic violence that occurred after Astley ended a three-year relationship with her boyfriend Nathaniel Fujita. As if this wasn't awful enough, the Boston Globe interviewed a cross-section of Boston area teens and found that, despite the recent tragedy, many of them think they're 'too young' to worry about dating violence.
• A Parent's Guide to Teen Dating Violence: Questions to Start the Conversation (PDF/8 pages) : "Dear Parent or Guardian: Could violence be a part of your teen's social life or dating relationships? The answer may surprise you. While we think that relationship violence is something that could never affect the lives of our children, the truth is that nearly a third of girls surveyed said that they know at least one person at school who was physically abused by the person they were dating. The good news is that there is a lot we, as parents, can do to step in and help. All it takes is a little time, focus, and acommitment to reach out, listen and talk to our teens."
• Day One- Minnesota Domestic Violence Crisis Line (1-866-223-1111) : "Day One® has become a statewide program of Cornerstone and expanded its network to include 55 domestic violence programs throughout the Minnesota area. Together, we work to connect domestic violence victims to safety and services in one phone call. Our collaborative efforts result in stronger relationships, coordinated responses to barriers and the development of effective best practices."
• Preventing Abuse and Violence Through Education (PAVE) : "The goal of Cornerstone's PAVE program is to raise awareness about and prevent domestic violence through classroom presentations, as well as offering supportive small-group and one-to-one sessions where students can work through the impact of the violence they have experienced, witnessed, or caused." Our experience in the classroom providing comprehensive violence prevention curricula as well as providing direct service to youth since 1994 has informed our work creating and implementing the KNOW ABUSE" curriculum.
• See It and Stop It! : This site was created by teens in Massachusetts to help you prevent relationship violence.
• Squash the Relationship if it's Abusive : "When a teenage relationship suffers from dating violence, it is like a pop bottle being shaken up. You're worried about opening the cap because you know it's going to blow up in your face." This article was written by a Twin Cities teenager through the ThreeSixty project.
• Teacher's guide to address Teen Dating Violence (PDF: 53KB/8 pages) : Interesting, Fun, and Effective Classroom Activities To Influence Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention
• Teen Dating Violence Myths and Facts (PDF: 31KB/1 page) : Teen Dating Violence myths and facts from Child Resource.
• Teen Dating Violence Resources : This is the Minnesota Department of Health's Teen Dating Violence Resource Page
• Teen Dating Violence Warning Signs speech : Six-minute speech about the problem of teen dating violence.
• U Have the Right : Fact sheets, definitions, self-tests, music and many more resources that discuss teen dating violence and healthy relationships
• Violence Prevention Works!: Teen Dating Violence : "Dating violence can happen to any teen regardless of gender, race, socio-economic status, or whether or not they have experience with dating. Sections include: Recognizing Dating Violence, Consequences of Dating Violence, How to Help Teens Dealing with Dating Violence, and Resources for Prevention.
• loveisrespect : National Dating Abuse Helpline: 1-866-331-9474. "loveisrespect.org is a joint project between the National Dating Abuse Helpline and Break the Cycle to provide resources for teens, parents, friends and family, peer advocates, government officials, law enforcement officials and the general public." Be sure to check out their Teen Power and Control Cycle at http://www.loveisrespect.org/resource-center/power-and-control-scenarios/

Sexting

• Dangers of Sexting: What Teens Need to Know : A short PSA dramatizing the dangers of sexting, mentioning privacy issues, how there's no possibility of apology, and the potential for sex offender charges.
• Education and Safety Information for the Use of Todays Technology-A PowerPoint Slide Presentation (PPT: 188KB/29 Slides) : A powerpoint laying out some of the dangers of social networking for teens, from the Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center.
• Emerging Issues Facing Tweens and Teen (Futures Without Violence)(PDF: 101KB/2 pages) : Young people age 12 to 19 experience the highest rates of rape and sexual assault, 1 people age 18 and 19 experience the highest rates of stalking, 2 and 15.5 million U.S. children live in families in which partner violence occurred at least once in the past year. 3 That is partly because, every day teens and tweens deal with issues that members of older generations never contemplated  How do I get help if my boyfriend/girlfriend is pressuring me to send a sexy text? Should I break up with my boyfriend/girlfriend on Facebook? What do I do if someone is spreading online rumors about me? Emerging issues like sexting, sexual coercion and bullying help create a serious problem for millions of youth.
• Missing Kids - Policy Statement on Sexting : Policies and explanation for 'Sexting'
• Online Safety from the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center : Resources for learning about cyberbullying. Included are sections on online safety tips, filtering software, computer slang, cyberbullying prevention, and 'sexting' prevention.
• Policy Statement on Sexting from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children : "Communities, parents, guardians, school administrators, law enforcement, and policymakers have recently become concerned about an activity known as 'sexting.' The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) shares this concern." A resource detailing the legal components of sexting.
• Safety for Today's Technology- a PowerPoint Presentation (PPT: 3MB/36 Slides) : A powerpoint presentation from the Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center about the dangers to young people of online and cell phone technology.

Sexual Harassment

• Sexual Harassment Video Program from the MN Department of Human Rights : "Sexual harassment has been illegal under state and federal law for decades, yet charges of sexual harassment continue to increase, costing employers millions in settlements and lost productivity. Why don't we know better?" A panel discussion.
• Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Legal information from MNCASA (PDF: 48KB/3 pages) : "Individuals who are subject to sexual harassment in the workplace may have a civil (not criminal) legal cause of action against their employers under federal, state, and sometimes local law. This fact sheet outlines sexual harassment and gives resources."

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For questions about this page, please contact the Injury and Violence Prevention program at:health.injuryprevention@state.mn.us

See also Health Promotion and Chronic Disease