Can We Talk About That? Partnership Blog

It may be difficult to grasp or accept, but sadly, far too many schools are not adequately addressing dating abuse on school campuses.

The dating abuse stories shared on this website help to shed light on the dynamics of dating abuse and why schools often overlook this issue.

The following factors contribute to schools’ inadequate responses:

List below are the names, ages and locations of teens (ages 13-19) who were murdered or nearly murdered in a dating abuse incident. The names and ages of teen suspects who committed suicide after allegedly committing murder or attempted murder are also included.

2012

Myrna Umanor, 15 years old, San Leandro, California (murder) and Henry Leon, 19 years old, San Leandro, California (suicide)

Maria Clara Rafael, 19 years old, Palm Desert, California (murder)

2011

The Partnership’s March Prevention Peer Network Web Conference will focus on strengthening prevention education in middle schools and high schools. During this Prevention Education Track web conference, we will share strategies for:

The Partnership’s January Prevention Peer Network Web Conference focused on engaging parents to support healthy teen relationships and prevent teen dating violence (TDV). The web conference was chock full of information and insights about:

On February 16, 2012, Camille Hayes and Lisa Fujie Parks from the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence presented a workshop, “Raise Your Voice and Use Your Power!Advocacy for Healthy Teen Relationships and Teen Dating Violence Prevention,” at Peace Over Violence’s Violence Free Teens Conference in Los Angeles. The workshop opened with the question: “Do you want to make a difference in your community by influencing decisions about laws, rules and resources?” Participants responded with a resounding “yes!”

Ana Marie Zipagan
Prevention Program Intern

What is a “dating bill of rights”? To me, it means rights both people in a dating relationship should have. Rights that cover the emotional and physical well-being of a couple in a relationship. Rights that are to be respected at all times. Someone once told me, “good love is about good choices.” When we choose to respect one another’s rights, and stand up for our own, we are making good choices about a relationship based on love.

“Teaching healthy relationship skills early on 
is integral in the prevention of teen dating violence, which is far too prevalent and prevents far too many students from being able to focus on their education.”
– Kevin Jennings, the Assistant Deputy Secretary, 
US Department of Education[i]

Violence prevention work is inherently intergenerational, because we are trying to transform the conditions of the past and present generation that contribute to violence so that current and future generations can live free from the trauma of violence and oppression. So what does this inherent generational dynamic mean to the individuals and organizations working to end violence in California? How can we nurture a vibrant, sustainable, intergenerational movement that is capable of ending our collective “generational transmission of violence”?

Let us know about your local actions by completing our brief survey! We will include them in our TDVAPM 2012 California Calendar! (Check out our TDVAPM 2011 California Calendar.)

Here is a sample of TDVAPM 2012 California actions: 

City Councils, Boards of Supervisors and School Districts across the state are recognizing TDVAPM 2012 through proclamations.