Teen Dating Violence Committee
Goal:
FVTFs should assign a committee to assess the community’s resources available to the victims/survivors and families of Teen Dating Violence (TDV). The committee should also identify areas for improvement in the resources, protocol, and procedure that currently exists for stakeholders responding to TDV.
Objectives:
- Compile the current resources for TDV in the community. Contact the local domestic violence agency as a starting point. Examine the informal and formal protocols and procedures for education, as well as response to TDV in the community. Invite teens to serve on the committee.
- Review previous cases of teen dating violence in the community (redact personal information). Look for opportunities for additional services and responses based on the information you gather from the review.
- If no resources, protocol, and procedure currently exist for a response to Teen Dating Violence, the committee should work on the development of those tools.
- Implement changes to improve current processes, based on the committee’s research and review of cases.
Goal:
FVTFs should assign one or more committees to implement ways to create and support an open dialogue between parents and teens on dating violence and healthy relationships, as well as services available in the community.
Objectives:
- Conduct a community training for parents and provide education on Teen Dating Violence, including signs of abusive relationships.
- Conduct a separate, trauma-informed, training for teens on identifying dating violence, and have the training led by teens. Provide a safe environment so teens can communicate their concerns and ask questions.
- Engage members of systems including law enforcement, the faith community, and the school system (teachers, principals, social workers, counselors, and resource officers) to bring the training to these groups.
- Work with systems members to provide training and education on an ongoing basis.
Have a member of the committee join the Georgia Teen Advocates Network to stay connected to new resources and work being done by Teen Dating Violence advocates across the state. For more information contact Claire Lisco ([email protected]) or Mary Haddon ([email protected]).
Online Resources
Center for Disease Control Teen Dating Violence Fact Sheet