violenceprevention

Every February, store shelves fill with heart-shaped boxes, roses, and reminders to celebrate love. Valentine’s Day paints a picture of romance that is exciting, all-consuming, and deeply emotional. For many teens, these messages help shape their earliest understanding of what love is supposed to look like. At the same time, February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, a reminder that not all relationships are healthy, and not all expressions of “love” are safe. This contrast matters....

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM), a time dedicated to shining a light on an issue that too often hides in plain sight. When people hear “dating violence,” they often imagine adults in long-term relationships. But the reality is that unhealthy and abusive dynamics frequently begin much earlier. For many survivors, the first experience of control, manipulation, or harm happens during adolescence. According to national data, nearly 1 in 3 teens  in the United States...

January has a way of making everything feel urgent. New year. New goals. New habits. A fresh start. But for many people — especially survivors of domestic violence — the idea of “starting over” can feel overwhelming, unrealistic, or even unsafe. Healing doesn’t follow a calendar. And survival doesn’t reset just because the year changes. At the Violence Prevention Center, we want to say this clearly: You don’t have to start over to deserve support. Healing Isn’t Linear — and That’s Okay...