Dating Violence or Relationship Violence

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Dating Violenceor Relationship Violence

• Fort Bend Independent School District December
  11, 2007

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Teen Dating Violence Facts

• Crosses race, gender, and socioeconomic lines.
• Females ages 16-24 are more vulnerable to
  intimate partner violence than any other age
  group---at a rate triple the national average.
• 1 in 5 female high school students is being
  physically and/or sexually abused by a dating
  partner.
• 22 of all homicides against females ages 16-19
  were committed by an intimate partner.
• Half of reported date rapes occur among teenagers.

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What it is

• a pattern of coercive, manipulative behavior that
  one partner exerts over the other for the purpose
  of establishing and maintaining power and
  control.
• may take various forms emotional, physical, or
  sexual abuse, limiting independence, isolation,
  threats, intimidation, harassment, minimization,
  denial and blame.
• As in adult domestic violence, the vast majority
  of teen dating violence involves the abuse of
  girls by male partners. However, there are also
  adolescents who abuse gay, lesbian or transgender
  partners and girls who abuse male partners.
• Closely related to sexual harassment and bullying

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Why we care.

• School districts are required by new Texas law to
  adopt and implement a dating violence policy to
  be included in the district improvement plan.
• The FBISD dating violence policy is incorporated
  into the existing policy prohibiting harassment,
  FFH(Local).

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The Policy Must

• Include a definition of dating violence
• Address safety planning
• Address enforcement of protective orders
• Address school-based alternatives to protective
  orders
• Provide for training for teachers and
  administrators
• Provide counseling for affected students and
• Provide for awareness education for students and
  parents.

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Alternatives to Protective Orders

• Offending student may be physically separated
  from the target
• Principal may, after conference with the
  offending student and his or her parent,
  implement a stay-away agreement.
• In serious cases, the offending student may be
  transferred to another school (if not in a
  disciplinary placement).

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Resources for Administrators

• Administrators may wish to use the
  Student-on-student Altercation Response Chart
  to guide you through the steps.
• The new regulation at FFH provides guidance into
  how to proceed when investigating allegations of
  dating violence, sexual harassment, bullying,
  etc.
• Remember to monitor student-on-student
  situations.

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Warning Signs for School Personnel

• One dating partner is having attendance problems
• Downward change in grades
• Change in weight
• No longer hanging out with old group of friends
• More passive and quiet than usual
• Sad, withdrawn, isolated from group
• Signs of control physical, social
• Change in style of dress
• Bruising

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Prevention Recommendations

• Handout contains recommendations for
• Teens
• Parents
• School Personnel
• Counselors
• Others

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Counseling for Students Affected by Dating
Violence

• Will train secondary counselors
• Inform students about counseling office being a
  safe place to discuss this issue
• Utilize Life Saver program
• Counselors to provide initial support, plus
  referral to outside providers

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Awareness Education

• We already have the Creating Healthy
  Relationships programpartnership with the Fort
  Bend County Womens Center
• Allow the Womens Center to set up a table during
  lunch at high schools
• Use advisory period to deliver awareness lessons
  found in resources on next slide
• For parents
• Handouts at Open House?
• Community Newsletter
• Websites
• What other ideas do you have?

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Resources

• American Bar Association Teen Dating Violence
  Week Toolkit http//www.abanet.org/unmet/toolkitm
  aterials.html
• Downloadable toolkit with prevention guide
  handouts for parents,
• teachers, teens, and counselors lesson plans,
  posters, and a DVD to
• use with students (pay shipping only for DVD).
• Love is Not Abuse Website http//www.loveisnotabu
  se.com Downloadable complete curriculum,
  handbooks for teens and parents, handouts,
  separate brochures for boys and girls, prevalence
  statistics, etc.
• National Center for Victims of CrimeDating
  Violence Resource Center http//www.ncvc.org/ncvc
  /main.aspx?dbIDDB_DatingViolenceResourceCenter101
  
• Downloadable tip sheets and resources for teens
  and parents

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Referrals

• Mental Health America of Fort Bend County
  281-207-2480 http//www.mhafbc.org
• Fort Bend County Womens Center
• 24 hour information and crisis line
• 281-342-4357 http//www.fortbendwomenscenter.
  org
• National Domestic Violence Hotline
• 1-800-799-7233

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