February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month (TDVAM). Dare2Know is taking to social media to increase awareness of teen dating violence and encourage positive action among Wisconsin youth, their parents, their communities, and across the entire state.
The Dare2Know movement was launched in July 2018 to empower Wisconsin’s youth to join the movement to end teen dating violence. Dare2Know seeks to expose – and end – the serious impact of teen dating violence in Wisconsin and long-term effects on youth and society. The purpose is to inform, educate, and inspire youth to rally together in positive ways and promote healthy relationships in their schools and communities. A variety of resources, tools, and activities, including a youth-led Teen Ambassador Program, encourages teens to actively participate in and share their experiences with each other.
This National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, Dare2Know is urging everyone in Wisconsin to spread awareness about teen dating violence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and all other social media platforms by using #Dare2Know.
About 15% of the Wisconsin population is between the ages of 10-20 years. That means that there are about 872,000 youth in Wisconsin who may be impacted by teen dating violence. The impact of teen dating violence is illustrated through these staggering statistics:
- 1 in 5 Wisconsin youth – about 174,000 – experience dating violence.
- 1 in 4 Wisconsin youth in a relationship say they have been called names, harassed, or put down by their partner through mobile devices.
- 2 in 3 Wisconsin youth who were in an abusive relationship never told anyone about the abuse.
In addition to spreading awareness, Dare2Know will be supporting other teen dating violence prevention organizations and initiatives on social media to increase engagement on the subject of teen dating violence. Topics include how and when to reach out to adult allies, education on warning signs of teen dating violence, and much more using #Dare2Know.
Likes or Yikes Quiz
To better educate youth on the characteristics of healthy relationships, Dare2Know created the “Likes or Yikes Quiz” to illustrate how seemingly innocent interactions and relationships could be warning signs for teen dating violence. To take the quiz, visit: https://d2kquiz.org/
Teen Ambassador Program
To ensure widespread education, Dare2Know is encouraging Wisconsin youth to join the Teen Ambassador Program (TAP). TAP was created to build a statewide network of teens that support one another in the movement to end teen dating violence. This program includes a Teen Ambassador toolkit, educational challenges to aid them through the D2K process, and monthly virtual meetups hosted by the D2K Youth Outreach Specialists to connect the Teen Ambassadors to each other and educate them to further promote healthy relationships in their communities.
Teen Summit 2020
The annual Teen Summit is End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin’s largest training, bringing youth, parents, educators, activists, andmentors from all over Wisconsin to learn about healthy relationships, teen dating violence, and sexual assault. The event hosts over 600 young people, mentors, educators, and allies from around Wisconsin from Sunday, February 23 through Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI.
For more information and registration, please visit www.endabusewi.org/events/teen-summit/.