Oklahoma State Department of Education attempts to provide a gradual conceptualization of healthy relationships from childhood through the teen years. The SDE webpage shows that the school system even provides tweaked concepts of same for learning disabled and developmentally delayed, who may be the highest risk for abuse. SDE is located in the Capitol Complex, in The Sequoyah Building.
Here is a general introduction on their webpage of things to consider if the reader is a youth or caregiver. http://www.ok.gov/sde/teen-dating-violence-prevention. This shows the people of Oklahoma the awareness of the education community regarding changes kids face today and what attempts are being offered formally from the school. National studies show that very early introduction of the very basic concepts of CARING and EMPATHY and MUTUALITY in daily relationships is the very best preventative for contacts that may emerge later that are more complex and intimate. These taught by family, community, school and house of worship offer a matrix of support that identifies and keeps standards of safety and respect.
The most interesting sites about teen dating violence preventions had to do with who is involved in this campaign and just how. In that it is the teens themselves who in the end may have a large slice of power in developing their community.
This site gives ideas of how High School or Middle School Student Councils can plan a month of awareness activities to involve peers in better understanding of the problems and how to resolve them.http://www.loveisrespect.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/lirtoolkit1.pdf kit
It is also noteworthy that the White House has an investment in Teen Dating Violence Preventions... for national and.......... local reasons. http://www.whitehouse.gov/1is2many
United States map of reported teen on teen dating violence from 2009 http://www.ncsl.org/Portals/1/ImageLibrary/WebImages/Health/postcards/Te... reminds of the prevalence of REPORTED incidents of concern..... if you mix this idea with the low stats on reports of sexual assaults or teen on teen crime, this may not be an accurate read, with the numbers rolling HIGHER not LOWER.
As you can see, Oklahoma self-reports a rather low number of such incidents. Little is shared about how data is collected. Unfortunately, probably more of Oklahoma is not very electronically connected than we'd like to admit. This is another version of marginalization in the end, ...(people are cut off of some common means to participate) because that group may be less likely to be asked, to respond, to be educated about options and resources or to be freed from the problem. The wizardry of electronic communication, like Twitter and Text, no matter how simple a forum may save errors, heartache, injury or fatalities.
"The National Dating Abuse Helpline offers information and support to individuals struggling with unhealthy relationships. For immediate and confidential advice and referrals, I encourage concerned teens and their loved ones to contact the Helpline at 1-866-331-9474, text "loveis" to 77054," from the WHITEHOUSE WEBPAGE, of President Barack Obama's proclamation to end dating violence or visit: www.LoveIsRespect.org.
Teen Dating Violence Preventions gets many people going. It is a passionate, possible subject. Here's a heartfelt response from a local parent.
"Teenagers who prevent violence are serious. They go to school, they do their homework, and want to prevent issues of violence amongst their peers. This is like 2 questions, to me teenagers who are dating are in life and social activities.... and so are they focusing on that and not academics.... Teens who try to stop violence, they understand why they are in school. They don't want to have trouble in their school. They want to reduce violence in their school or community. They structure how they situate themselves, and they have control over their behavior. They want less crime, they want less trouble." "Teens who are involved too much in social and relationships and friends, they only want to satisfy feelings... this is where their minds are going. Females are high risk for pregnancy. The Males, they seem to want more girls, more babies, more trouble. STD. .... 40% of them they don't even get their high school diploma. These teens.... they are just in HS and they need counseling. They maybe are sick.... and they don't ask for help from their parents. I believe they should wait." " I just tell my clients ... what can you do to change yourself? How can you make yourself fit into society, to be productive? How do you focus on your education? You need to get your High School. Get your college! Get ready and be ready. Just because when you don't do that you can end up destroying your future." " Some of these teens, their parents are not telling them, their friends are not telling them. When they come to me, I just tell them. When they change just one thing, their brains change, just gradually. But the teens, gradually, their lives change, and they give me 5." Florence the mother of 5, and she is a teen counselor at New Dimensions Youth and Family Counseling in Del City.
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