The teens in Sheltering Wings’ Youth Council, Teens that Talk, are already leading the charge to educate their peers, parents, teachers and other school officials, youth leaders, and community members about healthy dating relationships. The mission of Teens that Talk is to raise awareness about and prevent teen dating violence by providing education, sharing resources, and encouraging others to speak up about abuse.
Last semester a mom reached out to us after one of the youth council’s teen dating violence awareness events and said,
Thanks for the great time tonight! The kids had a great time and it opened up for a conversation on the way home with my son who is 14 almost 15. He shared with me that he had some concerns about his current relationship. So thank you! That conversation otherwise probably wouldn’t have happened.
Teens are forming patterns today that lay the foundation of how they’ll view and treat relationships into adulthood. In an effort to break the cycle of abuse, we need to help kids and teens understand what healthy relationships look like and how to pursue and maintain them.
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Join us as we work with tomorrow and today’s leaders share the message to their peers, “Speak Up. Don’t Cover It Up.” and “These Hands Do No Harm.” Our work must continue.
Speaking Up,
Cassie Martin
Executive Director
PS- Join in on the conversation this month through social media. Talk about healthy relationships. Follow @ShelteringWings and repost, share and retweet our posts. Use the hashtags #TheseHandsDoNoHarm and #SpeakUpDontCoverItUp.
