FEBRUARY IS TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

(February 11, 2020, Salisbury, MD) February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. During the month of February, the Wicomico County Health Department wants to promote public awareness about what parents can do to prevent teen dating violence and abuse. Approximately 1 in 10 teens report being physically abused by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the last year. Having open lines of communication with their children is one of the most important things parents can do to help keep their loved ones safe and healthy.

Take Steps to Make a Difference:

• Be a role model: treat your children and others with respect.
• Start talking to your children about healthy relationships early, before they start dating.
• Get involved with efforts to prevent dating violence at your teen’s school.
• Call the National Dating Abuse Helpline at 1-866-331-9474 or text “loveis” to 77054, if you are worried about your teen.

The Wicomico County Health Department has a program called Parents Matter!, an evidence-based prevention program for parents of pre-teens. This program is designed to enhance protective parenting practices and promote parent-child discussions about sexuality, sexual risk reduction, and healthy relationships. In addition, this program is designed to help parents overcome common parent-child communication barriers and promote positive parenting skills.

For more information on teen dating violence and the Parents Matter! program, call 410-334-3480 ext. 17489. You can also visit the Wicomico County Health Department’s website at www.wicomicohealth.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram (WicomicoHealth) or Twitter (@WicomicoHealth).