Teens Fight Back Against Dating Violence

Teens concerned about dating violence took part in the King of Hearts rally Thursday at Watsonville High School and, earlier in the week on Wednesday, Watsonville Mayor Eduardo Montesino signed a proclamation declaring February Teen Dating Violence and Prevention Month.

Lucila Sanchez, grants and contracts specialist at Women's Crisis Support ~ Defensa de Mujeres, sent in this report Thursday:

Mayor Montesinos spoke at the rally today and encouraged all students at WHS to get involved in stopping teen dating violence. He presented students a proclamation proclaiming February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. During the rally WHS students performed a short skit on teen dating violence, specifically on the use of technology by abusers to control their partners.

In addition, here are some teen dating violence facts from the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (www.cpedv.org):

• Young victims of dating violence are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior, unhealthy dieting behaviors, substance abuse and suicidal attempt, and to carry patterns of abuse into future relationships
• Only 33 percent of teens who are in an abusive relationship ever tell anyone about the abuse
• 1 in 3 adolescent girls in the U.S. is a victim of dating abuse
• Females between the ages of 16-24 are more vulnerable to intimate partner violence, experiencing abuse at a rate almost triple the national average

For more information or assistance, contact Women's Crisis Support ~ Defensa de Mujeres. The office is at 233 E. Lake Ave. in Watsonville. Call the office at 831-722-4532 or the 24-hour Crisis Line at 1-888-900-4232, or go online to wcs-ddm.org.