February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, a national effort to raise awareness about teen dating violence.  The Georgia Department of Public Health proudly joins the  #loveisrespect‘s campaign #beaboutit, to share the many ways to prevent dating abuse.  Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month provides an opportunity for prevention and healing for teen victims of violent relationships.  According to the Domestic Violence Awareness Project, approximately 1.5 million high school students in the United States experience physical abuse from a dating partner.  One-quarter of parents don’t talk to their teens about domestic violence.  Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month encourages parents and adolescents to take an inventory of their relationships. Abuse includes physical, psychological, or sexual abuse. Visit youth.gov and loveisrespect.org, for conversation starters and resources.  If you or someone you know has been the victim of dating violence, free and confidential help is available 24 hours a day through the National Dating Abuse Helpline at https://youth.gov/federal-links/national-teen-dating-abuse-helpline.