FEBRUARY IS TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH
In 2020, the Youth Advisory Council from LifeSmart Youth held a series of interviews with peers and trusted adults to talk about Teen Dating Violence. Here in Indiana, we have one of the highest rates of teen dating violence in the country. Our Youth Advisory Council knows it’s time we start talking about it.
Today begins our 6-week #KeepTalking Series, which will feature Trusted Adult Tips and new videos, created by the Youth Advisory Council. Each Wednesday through February we will highlight key information to encourage conversations and increase our knowledge and awareness about healthy, unhealthy, and abusive teen relationships.
The hashtag #TDVAM stands for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, which takes places during the month of February.
Like and Share our videos in honor of #TDVAM. The videos can be found on our LifeSmart Youth Facebook page and our LifeSmart Youth YouTube page as they are released each week.
Week 1: Communication
It does not matter if you ask an adult or a teen, the common answer for the question of “What makes a healthy relationship?” is communication. Communication is important when starting a relationship so that each partner can communicate expectations and boundaries. Communication is carried through the relationship to help navigate conflict and differences.
When teaching youth about healthy communication, here are some points to include:
- Communication needs to be respectful. Showing respect to each other’s opinions and differences will lead to better discussions and make conflict easier to resolve.
- Communication needs to be clear and direct. People cannot read minds, so it’s important to say what you feel, need, or think.
- Communication is a two-way street. This means making sure that both people have a say in the relationship to help ensure equality.
- Communication is a skill that needs to be practiced. Communication will not get better if both partners are not committed to growing and improving.
More Resources
For more tips on how to talk to teens about healthy relationships and communication, click the links below.