Teen Dating Violence Prevention Staff Training Sexual Harassment

Teen Dating Violence Prevention Staff Training Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Program (SHAPP) (Insert School District) Public Schools Training Date: (Insert Date)

Vision/Mission Statement The vision (and/or mission) of (school district) Public Schools is to (insert district vision/mission statement here)

SHAPP Goals and Objectives n Highlight your district’s SHAPP goals/objectives pertaining to teen dating violence in bullet form n Use your discretion as to whether all SHAPP objectives should be listed here or simply those related to teen dating violence. If the latter is chosen, you may want to briefly mention that additional program objectives are beyond the scope of this training and will be covered in other program-related trainings/activities. n Include statement that draws clear and direct link between SHAPP goals/objectives on teen dating violence and school district vision/mission

What is Teen Dating Violence? Teen Dating Violence (TDV) is defined as: Psychological/emotional, verbal, physical or sexual abuse, including forced isolation, threats and/or intimidation, occurring in the context of a casual or serious (long-term) teen dating relationship. Both males and females can be perpetrators of teen dating violence.

TDV: A Continuum of Behaviors Psychological/ Emotional Verbal Physical Sexual Murder

TDV: A Continuum of Behaviors The violence that can occur within a teen dating relationship ranges in severity from psychological and emotional abuse to rape, with the most severe cases resulting in murder. TDV mirrors the characteristics of adult domestic violence, also called Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).

Characteristics of TDV Psychological/Emotional Abuse n Controlling behavior such as telling victim what to wear or who to be friends with n Jealous behavior/attempts to socially isolate victim n Humiliation, insults

Characteristics of TDV Psychological/Emotional Abuse n Attempts to make victim feel guilty n Constant criticism or blame for things that go wrong n Threats of violence to self or others n Stalking

Characteristics of TDV Verbal Abuse (commonly overlaps with emotional abuse) n Name calling, using sexually derogatory names n Swearing, yelling at victim n Criticizing opinions, insulting beliefs or values n Putting down family or friends

Characteristics of TDV Physical Abuse n Slapping, hitting/punching, shoving, shaking, choking, etc. n Using a weapon n Throwing objects n Damaging personal property

Characteristics of TDV Sexual Abuse n Making unwanted sexual advances n Sexual coercion n Forcing unwanted sexual activity n Attempting to engage in sexual activity with a partner who is under the influence of drugs/alcohol n Rape

Why Does TDV Occur? Adolescents: n Are inexperienced with dating relationships and, therefore, are in a learning process n Have difficulty recognizing abusive behaviors, e. g. , they are more likely to view jealous/controlling behavior as a sign of love

Why Does TDV Occur? Adolescents: n Typically do not view dating violence as injurious to the relationship or a reason to dissolve the relationship n Typically do not report dating violence to a parent or adult, which has implications for the longevity of the abuse

Factors that Influence TDV n Attitudes Adolescents who believe that it is acceptable to use violence are more likely to perpetrate dating violence n Peer Influence Adolescents who have friends in a violent dating relationship are more likely to both be perpetrators and victims of dating violence. *Note: peer influence has been found to be more predictive of dating violence than interparental violence.

Factors that Influence TDV Additional factors – community violence n Adolescent boys and girls who experience community violence are more likely to be perpetrators of dating violence n Adolescent girls who experience community violence are also more likely to be victims of dating violence

Factors that Influence TDV Additional factors – aggression n Adolescents who are aggressive with their peers are more likely to be aggressive with their dating partner n Adolescents who have previously used aggression with a dating partner are more likely to be using aggression currently

Factors that Influence TDV Additional factors – history of abuse n Adolescent girls who have a past history of sexual abuse (including child sexual abuse) or prior sexual victimization are more likely to be victims of sexual violence in dating

Factors that Influence TDV n Personality Characteristics Low self-esteem, sad and hopeless feelings and confrontational coping/poor communication strategies n Problem Behavior Drug and alcohol use, early sexual activity, risky sexual behaviors, pregnancy and unhealthy weight control *Note that it is unknown whether relationship violence is a cause or a result of the above factors

Implications of TDV An individual’s understanding of any type of relationship is largely based on their first experience of that relationship. Because teens are just forming their understanding of the dynamics of a dating relationship, teen dating violence sets a harmful precedent for subsequent romantic relationships. For this reason, it is critical for teens to learn the elements of healthy versus unhealthy dating relationships.

Effects of Teen Dating Violence Victim n Self-blame n Sadness, anger, confusion, depressed feelings, anxiousness or fear n Feelings of being threatened or humiliated

Effects of Teen Dating Violence Victim n Feelings of being unable to talk to anyone about the abuse n Helplessness to stop the abuse n Protectiveness of partner

Effects of Teen Dating Violence Perpetrator n The basis of TDV perpetration is unhealthy beliefs about self and others and an unhealthy concept of interpersonal relations n Use of aggression in dating relationships persists over time if not corrected

Signs of Teen Dating Violence Teachers may see: n Physical signs of injury n Changes in appearance such as clothes or make-up n Decreased grades, participation in class; truancy n Changes in mood/personality, emotional outbursts

Signs of Teen Dating Violence Teachers may see: n Decreased self-esteem/confidence, difficulty making decisions n Signs of alcohol or drug use n Social isolation n Sexual risk-taking behavior/pregnancy

Extent of Need n Although both males and females can be victims of intimate partner violence, about 85% of victims are female. n Females, ages 16 – 24, report the highest rates of relationship violence. n 1 in 3 adolescent females and males report being involved in a violent dating relationship. *Preferable to use district-specific data obtained from county surveys/assessments. If none is available, use national statistics provided. [Delete this before presenting]

Extent of Need n 50 to 80% of teens report knowing other teens who have experienced violent dating relationships. n 15% of teenagers report having been hit, thrown down or attacked with a weapon by a dating partner. n 25% of 8 th and 9 th graders report having been a victim of nonsexual dating violence; 8% a victim of sexual dating violence.

SHAPP Strategies to Prevent Teen Dating Violence n (Enter district’s plan to address teen dating violence. ) - (Include policies against teen dating violence. ) n (Enter specific how-to’s for staff to implement SHAPP plan) n (Enter here and on following slide(s))

Evaluating Strategies to Prevent Teen Dating Violence n (Enter district’s plan to evaluate teen dating violence prevention plan) n (Enter specific role of staff to evaluate the plan, include as many step-by-step how-to’s as possible) n (Enter here and on following slide(s))

Online Resources n Dating and Violence Should Never Be a Couple: www. teendatingviolence. org n The National Center for Victims of Crime; Teen Victim Project: http: //www. ncvc. org/tvp/main. aspx? db. ID=dash_Ho me n The National Center for Victims of Crime; Dating Violence Resource Center: http: //www. ncvc. org/ncvc/main. aspx? db. ID=DB_Dati ng. Violence. Resource. Center 101

Online Resources n Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape - Teen PCAR: www. teenpcar. com n Va. Wnet* Teen Dating Violence – Information and Resources: http: //www. vawnet. org/NRCDVPublications/TAPE/Pac kets/NRC_TDV. php n Va. Wnet Teen Dating Violence Campaigns: http: //www. vawnet. org/Domestic. Violence/Prevention And. Education/Campaigns/TDVCampaigns. php n Washington State Office of the Attorney General Teen Dating Violence – FAQ for Parents: http: //www. atg. wa. gov/violence/FAQParents. shtml *National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women

References Bureau of Justice Statistics. Special Report Intimate Partner Violence and Age of Victim, 1993 -1999. Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office (2001). Dating Violence, Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence, www. acadv. org/dating. html Dating Violence Facts, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, http: //www. ncadv. org/files/datingviolence_. pdf Facts for Teens: Teen Dating Violence, National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, www. safeyouth. org Fact Sheet on Dating Violence, The National Center for Victims of Crime, http: //www. ncvc. org/tvp/AGP. Net/Components/Document. Viewer/Dow nload. aspxnz? Document. ID=39512

References Fact Sheet on Intimate Partner and Family Violence, National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, www. safeyouth. org Fact Sheet on Teen Dating Violence, Violence Prevention Program, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, March 2002. Foshee, V. A. , Lindner, G. F. , Bauman, K. E. , Langwick, S. A. , Arriga, X. B. , Health, J. L. , Mc. Mahon, P. M. , Bangdiwala, S. The Safe Dates Project: Theoretical Basis, Evaluation Design, and Selected Baseline Findings. Youth Violence Prevention: Description and baseline data from 13 evaluation projects (K. Powell, D. Hawkins, Eds. ). American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Supplement, 1996, 12(5), 39 -47. Retrieved February 27, 2006, from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Website: www. ncadv. org

References If you are a Victim of Teen Dating Violence, The National Center for Victims of Crime, www. ncvrc. org O’Keefe, M. (2005). Teen Dating Violence: A Review of Risk Factors and Prevention Efforts. National Resource Center on Domestic Violence: NRCDV Publications.

SHAPP Contact Information Main Contact: Secondary Contact: (Name) (Phone) (Email)