CLEVELAND — Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and for some teenagers it’s often a celebration of a first love and a new experience. But that experience isn’t always a healthy one.
February is not only a month often associated with love, it’s also Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.
“It’s all about setting boundaries,” said Rick Birt, president and CEO of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). “It’s understanding what your personal boundaries are and what you believe that they should be to make sure that you don’t feel pressured.”
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three young people will be in an abusive or unhealthy relationship.
It’s a statistic, Birt told Spectrum News, SADD is working to reduce.
“[It’s] understanding the importance of having healthy sexual relations and what that should look like, but also understanding the physical boundaries of public displays of affection,” said Birt, also noting the role a parent should play in their child’s relationship and how to approach a delicate topic.
“You don’t want to come in and start making accusations, but you want inquire: ‘Hey, how are you? How is their partner?’” he said.
If the situation is more dire, Birt advises parents to contact law enforcement, along with a mental health care provider to help victims dealing with abuse.
If a child is experiencing issues with mental health or contemplating suicide, immediate help is available by dialing 988 to reach the National Suicide Hotline 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
