Healthy relationship skills are not innate. They are learned. Youth deserve to have the skills and knowledge needed to engage in healthy dating relationships. DVCC is offering a wide variety of programs for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, with the goal of educating the community on healthy relationships, particularly young people and those in young people’s lives.
Join us for this parent workshop with New Canaan CARES on February 2 at 7pm! Media often romanticizes and normalizes unhealthy, toxic relationship behaviors. In this workshop, parents will learn how to recognize these behaviors and leave with tips for starting the conversation with their children.
Join individuals around the nation in wearing orange on Tuesday, February 8! Wear Orange Day aims to raise awareness of teen dating abuse and send the message that abuse will not be tolerated.
Take a picture wearing orange and post on social media with the hashtags #TDVAM2022 #Orange4Love #HealthyRelationshipsAreLearned and tag @DVCCCT.
The Domestic Violence Crisis Center invites middle and high school students to a free screening of the film “Sierra Burgess is a Loser,” at Trackside Teen Center in Wilton! After the movie, DVCC’s Prevention Educator will facilitate a short discussion about the relationships and messages in the film. This event is open to the public and takes place on Friday, February 11 at 6:30pm. Cosponsored by Wilton Youth Council, the Wilton Domestic Violence Task Force, and Trackside Teen Center. Click here to register!
The Domestic Violence Crisis Center invites middle and high school students to a free screening of the film “Sierra Burgess is a Loser,” at Toquet Hall Teen Center in Westport on February 16 at 6pm! After the movie, DVCC’s Prevention Educator will facilitate a short discussion about the relationships and messages in the film. This event is open to the public. A COVID waiver is required to attend, click the button below for the waiver, click here for the waiver. Sponsored by the Westport Domestic Violence Task Force in Partnership with DVCC.
Parents are well positioned to make a difference in their children’s lives. However, in a national on-line survey of parents with children 11-18 years old, nearly half (45%) had not discussed dating violence with their children in the past year. Reasons parents did not discuss dating violence with their children included they thought their children were too young to talk about it, they would not know what to say, and their children would learn about it through experience. We hope this guide helps parents discuss their relationship values and healthy, non-violent relationships with their children.
This resource guide includes the following:
- Important information on teen dating abuse, including statistics and dynamics of power and control
- Warning signs
- Conversation starters
- How to support a child if they disclose abuse
- A relationship assessment
- Movie discussion guides for four movies: Grease, Beauty & the Beast, Sierra Burgess is a Loser, and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.
Novels can be a powerful way to learn about the dynamics around dating abuse. Local libraries will feature a display of books that have stories featuring teen dating abuse as part of the plot. Look for these book displays/lists at the public libraries in New Canaan, Darien, Stamford, Norwalk, Wilton, andWeston!