For Immediate Release Contact: Lisa Robinson, 702.336.0334; lisa@ffwpr.com
February 11, 2020
FEBRUARY MARKS TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH
One in three teens experience some form of dating violence; Signs of Hope offers free prevention and education programs designed to help stem the tide
Las Vegas, NV — February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and Signs of Hope (SOH) would like to remind the Las Vegas community of the free prevention, awareness and resource programs the organization offers for students in schools, young adults, parents and caregivers who interact with young people. According to loveisrespect.org, one in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner while an overwhelming, 81% of parents believing teen dating violence is not an issue. Unfortunately, our young people are the ones left vulnerable while caught in this huge gap between the reality of what they are experiencing in terms of teen dating violence and the failure to recognize it among adults.
“Educating young people to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy relationships and raising awareness among adults about the prevalence of the problem, recognizing the warning and signs and how to intervene play a big role in preventing teen dating violence,” said Daniele Staple, executive director of Signs of Hope. SOH offers several free programs and provides resources that specifically address these issues.
- YourSPACE (Safety Prevention Awareness Curriculum for Everyone): designed for students in grades 8-12, the structured curriculum delivered by trained facilitators, focuses on educating teens on recognizing healthy and unhealthy relationships, understanding consent and finding resources if they find themselves in dangerous situations. The program is currently offered in several Clark County School District schools. In 2019, the SOH educated 9,151 CCSD students through the YourSPACE curriculum.
- SOH Teen Resource page https://live-signs-of-hope.pantheonsite.io/teen-resources/: reminds teens that they have the right to feel safe, respected and protected at all times; details the Personal Bill of Rights; provides information on how to be an active bystander; and includes links to a myriad of easily accessible web resources.
- Enough Abuse Campaign: in partnership with Prevent Child Abuse Nevada, the SOH offers free presentations to engage parents, caregivers and youth-serving organizations and includes communication tips for parents and others to talk to children in a healthy and neutral way about their bodies, sexuality and safety.
Anyone may reach out to the SOH at 702.385.2153 to request the YourSPACE training for your school or Enough Abuse training for your organization.
“Signs of Hope firmly believes that teaching young people about healthy relationships doesn’t just protect them from possible abuse by a peer, it also keeps them safer from trafficking and sexual abuse by adults,” said Staple. “The earlier we start conversations about personal boundaries, consent, how and who to ask for help and learning to be an active bystander, the more likely we are to prevent abuse before it happens and make inroads into changing cultural norms that keep the epidemic of interpersonal violence going.”
Attachment: Relationship Green Flags – positive indicators that you are in a healthy relationship.
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About Signs of Hope:
Signs of Hope (SOH) is a non-profit organization founded in 1974 by Florence McClure and Sandra Petta as the Community Action Against Rape (CAAR) with the goal of helping those in Clark County heal from the trauma of sexual violence. Today, Signs of Hope operates a 24/7 crisis hotline and hospital response for sexual assault victims and provides counseling, advocacy and support to help victims begin the healing process and navigate the legal system. SOH is also committed to raising awareness of sexual assault and engaging in prevention efforts through educational programs and community outreach, particularly to youth. Signs of Hope hotline number is 702-366-1640. For more information, visit www.rcclv.org.
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