Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
(February 18, 2025) – February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and the Janelle Grum Family Crisis Center of East Texas is directing attention to a pervasive problem affecting young people in the community.
“You are worth it” is this month’s campaign, letting teens know they are worth having healthy behavior surrounding them – whether in a friendship, familial relationship, or romantic relationship. Nobody deserves abuse in their relationships.
“Teen dating violence is an often-overlooked epidemic that affects nearly 1 in 12 high school students every year, with teens between the ages of 16 and 24 experiencing the highest rates of intimate partner violence—almost triple the national average,” said Whitney Burran, Executive Director. “As a community, we must educate, support, and empower teens to build healthy, respectful relationships.”
Teenagers can get into relationships that become like a revolving door – back and forth, on and off again – and begin to believe that the cataclysmic cycle is what they should live with or all they deserve. This is not the case, but with a view of the world and relationships that are still developing since they do not often have the life experience that an adult may have, they are more susceptible to fall victim to controlling behavior.
Becoming complacent in a relationship can cause us to overlook concerning conduct. What a teen may reject at the beginning of a relationship, they may slowly start to comply with after being pressured over time.
“A few red flags to watch for in your teen’s dating partner are checking your teen’s phone without their permission, tracking them through various apps like Snapchat, Life360, and FindMyiPhone, explosive outbursts from your teen’s partner – or even your teen – extreme jealousy and controlling behavior or possessiveness,” warned Burran.
Early intervention and education are key to preventing relationship abuse and supporting victims. Throughout February, agency staff have and will continue to engage schools and groups in outreach activities to raise awareness of TDV, promote healthy relationship education, and provide resources to teens and their families.
Throughout February, community members are encouraged to visit the Family Crisis Center’s Facebook and Instagram pages for informative posts about teen dating violence—its origins, prevalence, and prevention, as well as the Conversations and Connections podcast on PodBean.
The agency’s prevention team hosts age-appropriate presentations aimed at keeping students and young people safe online and in the real world. If you, your school, or organization would be interested in hosting the agency for a presentation, please contact Melissa Wheeler at 936-639-1681.
Together, through heightened awareness and decisive action, a safer, more informed community for teens can be forged in the digital age. Everyone deserves to have a happy and healthy relationship.
If you or someone you know is experiencing dating violence, domestic violence, or sexual assault, individuals are urged to reach out to the hotline at 1-800-828-7233 (SAFE) or send a confidential text to 936-552-9256.