Though February is widely regarded as a month of love and romance, it’s also a month to recognize a much more serious matter: teen dating violence. To acknowledge Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, HHS has taken several measures to make sure students are aware of the issue and know how to prevent it.

The goal of this month is to put out information that many don’t know about dating violence, specifically about how often it occurs among teenagers. One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a survivor of abuse from a dating partner, and only 33 percent of teens who were in a violent relationship say they would tell anyone about the abuse. Eighty-six percent of these teenagers said they would confide in a friend, rather than a caring adult.

Though one in five high school female students are physically and/or sexually abused by their dating partner, it’s important to understand that this issue widely affects males as well. Abuse is gender non-exclusive: despite being talked about far less, many men are abused by the females in their lives.

“I think it’s critical that teens understand the red flags that indicate the possibility of an abusive relationship, whether it is physical or emotional,” Student Assistance Counselor Rebecca Balaguer said. “Everyone has a right whether they are male or female to feel safe.”

One way HHS is addressing Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month is by holding an assembly for the junior class. SCREAM Theater, which stands for “Students Challenging Realities and Educating Against Myths” will be coming to the school to perform skits. These skits aim to bring awareness about abuse (verbal and physical) and dating violence. SCREAM Theater is associated with the Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance at Rutgers University, and their goal is to educate audiences about identification, prevention, and how to not be a bystander.

“Making students aware of dating violence is very important because prevention wise you need to be able to identify abuse in order to help those around you get help before it becomes a cycle,” guidance counselor Karen Sare said. “SCREAM Theater emphasizes the identification of the problem as bystanders, as victims, but also as initiators; sometimes they don’t know that they’re being overly possessive.”

Actions to bring awareness to teen dating violence are not only being taken by teachers and guidance counselors, but by students as well. Senior Amanda Schmitt leads a coalition called Project Safedates, which is a relationship group that calls awareness to the issue of dating violence and how it impacts students.

“Teen dating violence affects a third of adolescents and a lot of the red flags go undetected,” Schmitt said. “Being able to recognize the healthy and unhealthy ways to express thoughts and feelings can go a long way in making sure you are safe and happy in any relationships you are a part of.”

Throughout the month of February, these students worked as an advisory council, reading a proclamation at the board office regarding Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month in schools. In HHS specifically, they have made posters to hang around the school and are making morning announcements to make other students knowledgeable about dating violence.   

If you or someone you know may be a victim of dating violence, it is important to know that there are places to reach out to for help. Local organizations Safe+Sound Somerset and Zufall Health Center’s Sexual Assault Support Services are available 24/7, and Zufall’s hotline can be reached at (908)526-7444.

“The point of this month is to empower students to be the best people they can be,” Balaguer said. “We’re doing everything we can to inform, prevent, and protect.”