Awareness lacking in teen dating violence

In light of Valentine's Day and Black History Month taking most people's attention throughout February, most people don't know it's also National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

When contacted by Hernando Today, school officials didn't know about it despite a proclamation during a county commission meeting meant to bring awareness to the problem.

That's nothing new for Dawn Easter, a violence prevention advocate for the Dawn Center, a spousal abuse shelter. Following sessions spent with seven classrooms at Hernando High School last year, she said it's a battle to reach teens about the issue when there are so many influences in the media and in some young people's daily lives.

"It's a real fight to get through and change people's ideas, especially when you see what teens are exposed to with what they watch on television," Easter said. "We're not as effective as we could be, and it's going to take a lot to change perceptions and beliefs."

It's why Easter and guidance counselors at Hernando High School met Thursday at the school to discuss ways to reach teens about dating violence.

Through a grant from the Florida Department of Health and a partnership with Pastor Clarence Clark of Shiloh Problem Solvers, Easter said she chose the school to test outreach methods.

Counselors in attendance agreed that for the past year or two, very few teens have come forth to report dating violence and that few times those going through dating problems are the ones to report it - instead, their friends do.

Joan Emerson, a guidance counselor for Hernando High School, said years ago the school district would show students a play called "The Yellow Dress," a theatrical production about a group of women sharing their stories about dating violence.

"After that we'd see an increase in kids coming in and telling us they know someone who's in a relationship like that," Emerson said. "But we haven't seen that lately."

Easter said her experience when talking with teens is they like to discuss intervention methods after they notice problem behaviors, but rarely is prevention discussed.

To combat the problem, she said by next school year she wants to test initiatives to get more students involved in educating others about dating violence, whether through an article in the student newspaper, plays at the school involving Hernando High students, youth groups organizing events to bring awareness and other methods.

It's important to have local high school students involved, she said, because students respond better to their peers. School leaders also have a better chance of setting an example of how to behave - which is one of the best ways she said to combat television and other media influences.

"Many times teens don't understand what a healthy relationship is," Easter said. "They're going into their first relationship, there are lots of changes going on with them at that stage and they're stuck on love and attention."

However, teens don't always recognize how destructive jealousy and obsession can be, she said. Add other factors, such as "sexting" or texting each other nude photos or other inappropriate material on their cell phones and fights and rumors that arise from messaging on the Internet, and relationship problems can spiral out of control.

It's not just boys who are violent. Easter said girls can also be physically and verbally violent as well. For both sexes, the level of violence escalates when one partner decides to leave.

"It's the most dangerous time, because that person is losing power, and it makes them angry," Easter said. "That's why it's important for us to not only talk about dating violence, but to have steps in place so that if a situation does come up, we can help them make a plan to break off from that person."

Meanwhile, Easter said she would be meeting with guidance counselors, school officials and student groups to create a program that better brings dating violence to the forefront. Eventually she would also like to poll students about dating violence to compare with the programs three to five years later.

"That way we can see what kind of impact we're making on teens' values and beliefs about teen dating," Easter said. "It's going to take a lot of work and a lot of different exposures for teens."