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February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic Launches Initiatives to Empower Teens and Raise Awareness. North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic and the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic Regional Student Board raise awareness about teen dating violence and promote safe, healthy relationships.

Highland Park, IL – January 22, 2025 – February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM) across the nation, a time to spotlight the widespread issue of teen dating violence and empower teens, parents, and communities to come together to stop abuse before it starts through education and advocacy. North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic (NSLAC) and the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic Regional Student Leadership Board (the Student Board) are proud to lead several initiatives to raise awareness, educate the community, and promote healthy relationships.

Information about these efforts may be found at https://nslegalaid.org/teen-dating-violence-awareness-month/

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month Initiatives

Strength in Love: Embrace Empowerment During Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Bar Method Highland Park and NSLAC will host an impactful event, “Strength in Love: Embrace Empowerment During Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month,” to educate teens, parents, and guardians about the warning signs of teen dating violence and the importance of healthy relationships.

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, February 22, 2024

• Location: Bar Method Highland Park, 600 Central Avenue, Suite 127 (Port Clinton)

• Classes: 7:45 AM, 8:45 AM, 10:00 AM, and 11:15 AM

• Special Session (11:15 AM): A teen-only class for ages 13+, featuring a Q&A session with NSLAC to provide insights into dating violence, resources for help, and ways to support others.

Participants can register using the special discount code “TDVAM” via the Bar Method app or website for a complimentary drop-in class. Direct registration is also available by contacting Bar Method Highland Park at 847-432-9150 or via email at [email protected]. Space is limited, and attendees are encouraged to wear orange, the nationally recognized color of TDVAM, to show support.

Community Engagement and Collaboration

NSLAC has been speaking at municipal meetings and in schools to raise awareness about teen dating violence. These efforts aim to educate local leaders and community members about the issue and how they can support prevention initiatives. NSLAC will continue to work with partners throughout north suburban Cook County and Lake County to provide education, resources, and advocacy for teens, parents, and educators.

Digital Awareness Efforts

The Student Board will contribute to TDVAM by launching social media campaigns and publishing blogs focused on teen dating violence. These educational materials will be available in the NSLAC Legal Library and on NSLAC’s social media, offering valuable insights and tools to help prevent relationship violence.

Understanding Teen Dating Violence

Teen dating violence is domestic violence. It is an issue that impacts everyone – not just teems – but their parents, teachers, friends, and communities. Teen dating violence is a pattern of behavior that includes physical, emotional, verbal, and/or sexual abuse by one person in an intimate relationship to exert power and control over another. Relationship violence can occur at school — in the hall, in the classroom, in the parking lot, on the bus or in a car, at after-school activities, at a student’s workplace, at a school dance, or at a student’s home. In teenage dating relationships, the abuse is often public with peers witnessing the abuse; however, the abuse can also occur in private.

While we typically think of February as a month of love, most may not realize that February is also Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. It is important to educate teens about what is and is not a healthy relationship.

NSLAC encourages the community to recognize warning signs of unhealthy relationships, such as:

Controlling Behavior: Monitoring or attempting to control a partner’s actions.

Jealousy or Possessiveness: Isolating a partner from friends or family.

Emotional Manipulation: Using guilt, fear, or threats to maintain control.

Physical or Verbal Abuse: Any behavior that causes harm or fear.

Constant communication with significant other.

Ramifications for not responding in a timely manner.

Resources and Support

NSLAC is staffed with domestic violence attorneys, social workers, and advocates that provide confidential assistance. NSLAC works in conjunction with social service agencies and public safety officials that can help provide safety and resources. For more information, call 847-737-4042 or visit www.NSLegalaid.org.

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