Approximately 1 in 11 female and 1 in 15 male high school students report having experienced physical dating violence in the last year. Young women ages 16 to 24 have the highest rate of reported abuse.
The Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence -- a joint effort by the City of San Antonio, Bexar County and local community partners to address the local epidemic of domestic and family violence -- has prioritized expanding the availability of teen dating violence prevention curricula for area students.
Teen dating violence can include physical violence, sexual violence, psychological aggression and stalking -- unhealthy behaviors that can have severe, lasting effects for adolescents.
Teaching teens about warning signs for an abusive relationship could help them identify and avoid future violence. What's included in the kind of evidence-based curriculum that could be implement in Bexar County?
Teens often don't report unhealthy behaviors to family or friends. What should parents know about how to identify and respond to a child’s abusive relationship? What steps can parents take to be more involved in their teen's dating life?
Guests:
- Marta Pelaez, president and CEO of Family Violence Prevention Services
- Francesca Rattray, CEO of YWCA San Antonio
- Rena Castro, mother of Erin Castro who was murdered by her boyfriend
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show email thesource@tpr.org or tweet @TPRSource.
*This interview was recorded on Tuesday, March 17.
