1. Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention
Today we are going to define and discuss the prevalence of the following terms and how each one contributes to the tolerance of violence:
Sexual Harassment
Dating Violence
Sexual Assault
HB 121 – Teen Dating Violence Policy

2. The Cycle of My Life by Pamela, age 16
It all starts out wonderful until he strikes
Constantly hearing I’m sorry
Until it doesn’t matter anymore
Forgiving every time, forgetting never
Calling out for him to stop
Never stopping until it is almost too late
Never thinking about the consequences of his actions
Just making me think about the consequences of mine
Hearing I’m sorry all over again
Meeting him with open eyes
Awaiting the gifts I know will pour forward
Until it all stops
And the cycle begins all over again

3. Sexual Harassment
Defined in the Texas Penal Code ( – Sexual Harassment) as,
Any repeated or deliberate sexual behavior that is unwelcome to its recipient, as well as other sex-related behaviors that are hostile, offensive, or degrading.
Physical Contact – grabbing, pushing, touching, groping
Sexual Comments – name-calling, rumors, gossip, using the word “fag”
Sexual Propositions – “quid pro quo”
Unwanted phone calls/ s/text messages/letters/notes
Sexual Harassment is a form of violence!!

4. The Prevalence of the Problem
Over 80% of girls (8th – 11th grade) and over 70% of boys (8th – 11th grade) reported that they have been sexually harassed or bullied.
Roughly 38% of students reported that they have experienced some form of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or harassment by a public school employee (coach, teacher).
Over 30% of school employees or teachers were harassed by students and over 40% of school employees or teachers had been harassed by each other
Every 7 minutes a child is bullied or harassed. In addition to that, adult intervention occurred only 4% of the time, peer intervention occurred only 11% of the time, and no intervention occurred 85% of the time.
Nearly 60% of boys classified as bullies in grades 6-9 were convicted of at least one crime by the age of 24, and 40% of them had three or more convictions by the age of 24
** Bureau of Justice – School Crime and Safety & American Association of University Women

5. Dating Violence
Defined in the Texas Family Code ( ) as,
The intentional use of physical, sexual, verbal, or emotional abuse by a person to harm, threaten, intimidate, or control another person in a dating relationship.
Dating violence is a pattern of coercive behavior that one partner exerts over the other for the purpose of establishing and maintaining power and control.

6. Dating Violence Can Be...
PHYSICAL - Pinching, shoving, slapping, grabbing, intimidating (blocking doors, throwing objects, breaking or damaging possessions, using weapons)
SEXUAL - Unwanted touching, forced sexual activities, RAPE, pressure or coercion to have sex, threats of finding someone who will do what he or she wants sexually
VERBAL/EMOTIONAL - Put-downs, insults, rumors, threats, possessiveness, mood swings, humiliation, accusations, dictating what one wears, dictating who one hangs out with, requires partner to check in constantly.

7. The Prevalence of the Problem
Approximately 1 in 5 high school girls reported being physically or sexually abused by a dating partner.
As many as 45% to 66% of youth in violent relationships are both perpetrators and victims.
Dating violence occurs most frequently in schools, with about 50% occurring in the front of other people, including adults.
Almost 60% of adolescent males believe that rape is acceptable under certain circumstances.
Acceptance of dating abuse among friends is one of the strongest links to future involvement in dating abuse.
It does not discriminate.

8. The Prevalence of the Problem
In the United States, a woman is raped every 46 seconds. That equates to about 683,280 rapes per year.
In the United States, an avg. of 112,000 males age 12 and older are victims of rape or attempted rape every year.
1 out of every 5 women, and 1 out of every 10 men will be raped at some point in their lives.
1 in 3 girls, and 1 in 7 boys will be sexually abused before they reach the age of 18.
Teens between the ages of 16 and 19 are 3 and a ½ times more likely to be victims of rape of attempted rape.
Over 60% of all rape victims are under the age of 18

9. Continuum of Violence Thoughts, Attitudes Rumors, Teasing Name-calling
Stalking
Physical or Verbal Assault
Sexual Assault/Rape
MURDER!!

10. Impact on Victims Red Flags Bruises, scratches, other injuries
Failing grades or dropping out of school
Avoiding friends and social activities
Changes in clothes or make-up
Changes in eating habits
Increase in high risk behaviors
Regressive behaviors
Irrational or exaggerated fear of places
Sudden changes in mood or personality

11. House Bill 121
Effective September 2007, the Texas Legislature has passed, and Governor Perry has signed, an act requiring each school district in Texas to adopt and implement a dating violence policy.
Each school district’s dating violence policy must:
include a definition of dating violence
address safety planning
include enforcement of protective orders
include school-based alternatives to protective orders
address counseling for affected students
address training for teachers and administrators
include awareness education for students and parents

12. Safety Planning
A Safety Plan is a tool used to assess risk and identify actions to increase safety for victims.
Includes important telephone numbers including law enforcement, helpline, community organizations, etc.
Identifies supportive peers and adults at home and school
Outlines specific strategies for avoiding the abuser, and getting help when needed

13. Counseling for Students
Provide school counselors with training, resources, and teen dating violence prevention materials.
Let students know that they can talk to the counselors about dating and relationships.
Utilize local resources such as domestic violence and sexual assault centers.

15. Resources The Rape Crisis Center for Children and Adults – San Antonio
Texas Association Against Sexual Assault – Austin
Texas Advocacy Project: Teen Justice Initiative – Austin
Texas Council on Family Violence Red Flags Project – Austin
National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center
CHOOSE RESPECT Initiative – San Antonio
The Expect Respect Program Manual – Austin SafePlace
RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network)

16. Dating Violence Mary Alice Smallbone, Director
Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities/Mediation
Student Support Services
or 7130

17. SDFSC/Mediation in NEISD
Training
Peer Mediation
Experiential Learning
PAL training
Prevention Programming:
Safe School Ambassadors
Steps to Respect
Second Step

18. A Day in the Life of the American Child
17,072 public school students are suspended.
4,400 children are arrested.
65,000 students miss school due to some sort of conflict.
2,539 teens drop out of school.
2,455 children are abused or neglected.
1,186 babies are born to teen mothers.
8 children/teen are killed by a firearm
5 children/teens commit suicide
4 children are killed by abuse or neglect

19. Flirting vs. Harassment
Makes you feel good
Is usually taken as a compliment
Goes both ways
Is welcome attention
Encourages positive self-esteem
Sexual Harassment:
Hurts your feelings
Is usually considered insulting
Is one-sided
Is unwanted
Enforces negative
self-esteem

20. Common Myths About Sexual Assault
Sexual Assault and Rape are two different things
Rape = Sex
Date rape isn’t as bad as stranger rape
Rape only happens to (some) women
Some women ask to be raped based on their clothing or behavior
A rape victim is “damaged goods”
Secretly, women really WANT to be raped
“It will never happen to me”

21. Rape & the San Antonio Community
Rape is the most underreported felony in our community.
1 in 10 women report
1 in 25 men report
Over 80% of rape survivors in San Antonio that are 12 and older, know their attacker.
Over 90% of sexually abused children in San Antonio up to the age of 12, know their attacker.
The Rape Crisis Center averages going to the hospital times a day and receives an average of 650 calls a month on our 24 hour hotline.

22. Preventing Violence Using the Ecological Model
The components of prevention...
Primary Prevention:
Interventions before sexual violence occurs to prevent initial perpetration or victimization
Secondary Prevention:
Interventions immediately after sexual violence has occurred to deal with short-term consequences of violence
Tertiary Prevention:
Interventions after sexual violence has occurred that involve long-term responses to deal with lasting consequences of violence & sex offender treatment programs

24. Teen Dating and Sexual Violence - Risk Factors
Individual
Alcohol and drug use
Coercive sexual fantasies and other attitudes and beliefs supportive of sexual violence
Impulsive and antisocial tendencies
Preference for impersonal sex
Hostility towards women
History of sexual abuse as a child
Witnessed family violence as a child
Belief in strict gender role
Aggressive or delinquent behavior

25. Teen Dating and Sexual Violence - Risk Factors
Community Factors
Poverty
Lack of employment opportunities
Poverty, mediated through forms of crisis of male identity
Lack of institutional support from police and judicial system
General tolerance of sexual assault within the community
Weak community sanctions against perpetrators of sexual violence

26. Teen Dating and Sexual Violence - Risk Factors
Relationship
Associate with sexually aggressive and delinquent peers
Family environment characterized by physical violence and few resources
Strongly patriarchal relationship or family environment
Emotionally unsupportive family environment
Family honor considered more important than the health and safety of the victim

27. Teen Dating and Sexual Violence - Risk Factors
Societal Factors
Inequalities based on gender, race, and sexual orientation
Religious or cultural beliefs
Economic and social policies
Societal norms supportive of sexual violence
Societal norms supportive of male superiority and sexual entitlement
Weak laws and policies related to sexual violence
Weak laws and policies related to gender equality
High levels of crime and other forms of violence
Traditional gender norms

28. Impact on Victims
Girls with a history of physical and sexual dating violence are significantly more likely to:
Engage in substance abuse (binge drinking, cocaine use, smoking, and unhealthy weight-control behaviors)
Engage in risky sexual behavior before age 15
Have multiple sexual partners
To have been pregnant (4-6 times more likely
than non-abused peers)
To have attempted suicide during the
previous year (8-9 times more likely than
non-abused peers)

29. Impact on School Staff
How do the issues of sexual and dating violence impact your job performance?
Your own safety?

30. Do we tolerate the idea that
Are We Responsible?
Do we tolerate the idea that
violence is acceptable?
Give some examples about what we tell or show our kids that could possibly support the risk factors that we just talked about
What are doing to make it safer?

31. Training and Education
Defining teen dating and sexual violence
Identifying social expectations of males and females that contribute to abuse
Examining the role of the media in supporting sex role stereotypes and how these stereotypes, if believed, are a set-up for abuse and violence
Exploring how teens can help themselves or a friend, including where to find legal, medical, and mental health services
Defining healthy and respectful behavior and relationships

32. Risk Assessment and Safety Plan
How often does your partner:
Put you down?
Threaten to hurt you?
Hit you or throw things
Call you names
Constantly call, text or page you
Pressure you to have sex
Yell at you
Push or shove you
Slap you or pull your hair
Act controlling
Keep you from spending time with your friends

33. Getting Youth Involved
They have the credibility
Increased buy-in
Can reach the hard-to-reach youth
Benefit to youth leaders themselves
Become outspoken leaders for change
Increase likelihood of impacting social norms

34. Protective Orders Enforcement of Protective Orders
Contact the Texas Advocacy Project’s Teen Justice Initiative for questions about Protective Orders and Youth
School Based Alternatives to Protective Orders
Develop reporting system, investigative protocol and options
such as a stay-away agreement