February 2011

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Dating violence is a widespread problem among youth: According to findings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, one in three teens has experienced physical, verbal or emotional abuse in a romantic relationship. Here are five ways to mark National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month:

NCFY Recommends: My Paper Boyfriend

Need a fun way to teach young women about healthy relationships? In a new online gaMy Paper Boyfriend buttonme from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and the Dibble Institute for Marriage Education, teens create an imaginary boyfriend – and then get quizzed on their relationship skills.

Two NCFY Podcasts Give a Youth Perspective on Dating Violence

What can youth workers--and the young people they work with--do about dating violence? Two NCFY podcasts give a youth perspective on the answer to that question.
 
Two years ago, NCFY spoke with a young woman who survived acquaintance rape at age 17. She gives advice about how to get help after sexual assault or rape and talks about what others can do to support victims. Listen to "A Long Road to Healing."
 

New From NCFY: "Speak Up!" Interactive Tool for Youth

A young man stands smiling.Do you know some young people who could hone their self-advocacy skills?

"Speak Up! Using What You’ve Got to Get What You Want" is a new, interactive video developed by NCFY to encourage young people to speak up and advocate for themselves at the doctor's office, at school, at work or in common situations they may face.

New From NCFY: The Hula Hoop Theory of Youth Development

In a new issue of the Exchange, our quarterly e-magazine for youth workers, NCFY tackles the developmental systems theory. According to this view, every young person grows up within a series of hoops, or environments. Over time, as a young person passes through childhood and into adulthood, each environment influences and is influenced by the next.

Primary Sources: Can a Neighborhood Stop Dating Violence?

Neighborhood Predictors of Dating Violence Victimization and Perpetration in Young Adulthood: A Multilevel Study” (abstract), American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 100 No. 9, September, 2010.
 
What it's about: Researchers studied 633 teens in 80 neighborhoods in urban Chicago to determine how often dating violence happens, who suffers, and whether communities can play a role in stopping it.
 

Host a National Youth Summit 'Watch Party'

How can the United States lead the world in college completion by 2020? That's the question the Department of Education's National Youth Summit, to be held in Washington this month, aims to answer. Young people who aren't in Washington can take part, too, by organizing "watch parties" and virtually participating in a policy forum.

Who: U.S. Department of Education, National Youth Summit

Federal Law Strengthens its Focus on Preventing and Addressing Teen Dating Violence

Last year’s reauthorization of the federal law that provides funding for domestic violence shelters and programs strengthens the focus on their efforts to prevent and address teen dating violence. The reauthorized Family Violence Prevention and Services Act’s primary purposes include preventing dating violence and domestic violence as well as providing shelter and a supportive services for victims of abuse. The reauthorization also strengthens the law’s role in responding to children and youth exposed to violence at home.

National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth | 5515 Security Lane, Suite 800 | North Bethesda, MD 20852 | (301) 608-8098 | ncfy@acf.hhs.gov