Educating Youth About Teen Dating Violence

February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and the facts may surprise you:

In a 2012 survey taken at a high school in the Upstate of South Carolina, 20 percent of the high school freshman having experienced dating violence. Almost 50 percent of these students reported knowing a friend or peer who had experienced dating violence, according to Safe Harbor.

1 in 3 teens will experience violence in a relationship. Two-thirds of them will never report it to anyone, according to Break the Cycle (breakthecycle.org).

Females between the ages of 16-24 are more vulnerable to intimate partner violence than any other age, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Teen dating violence runs across race, gender and socioeconomic lines, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime.

The statistics are staggering and frightening. But, Safe Harbor is working to alleviate and prevent teen dating violence in the Upstate through its Relationship Education Project (R.E.P.). 

R.E.P., formerly known as The Megan Project, is Safe Harbor’s dating violence awareness and education program.  R.E.P. is designed to enhance students’ awareness of dating abuse and healthy relationships through education and interaction.  Safe Harbor’s R.E.P. Educators, Amanda Callahan and Mills Tate, visit classrooms and assemblies in high schools throughout Greenville, Anderson, Pickens, and Oconee counties.

They talk with students about characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships, the cycle of abuse, and the warning signs of relationship violence.  The educators also share current stories regarding dating abuse and explain what students can do if they or someone they know is involved in an abusive relationship.  Students are involved in the subject matter through discussion, expressing their own opinions and thoughts.

R.E.P. Educators also offer a multi-session curriculum entitled R.E.P. Unplugged, providing a more in-depth study of dating violence and healthy relationships over the course of 5-8 class periods.  R.E.P. Unplugged serves as a tool to prepare students not only for immediate relationships during high school but also for relationships in the future, as well as prepare them to advocate for healthy relationships in the larger community.  R.E.P. Unplugged helps to eradicate attitudes and behaviors that lead to violence while also building a future generation of advocates for healthy relationships.

During 2012, over 10,000 students throughout the Upstate of SC were reached through Safe Harbor’s R.E.P. program. Through pre/post testing & student surveys, R.E.P. Educators are able to see the impact of the curriculum they present.  A student in Anderson County recently shared, “"Last year, when you came to my school, I realized I was in an abusive relationship. He would push me and hit me. He made me feel stupid. He was always pressuring me to do things that I didn't want to do. Your presentation helped me to get the courage to leave the relationship. I now realize how important your message is. You never know who you might be helping."

To learn more about R.E.P., visit www.repsc.org.  To schedule a R.E.P. presentation for your classroom, school or teen group, please contact info@repsc.org.

About Safe Harbor

Safe Harbor is a non-profit organization providing safe shelter, counseling, advocacy, and support services for victims of domestic violence and their children, and domestic violence prevention and education for the entire Upstate community.  For more information on available services or volunteer opportunities, visit Safe Harbor at www.safeharborsc.org.