During February we recognize National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. This time encourages discussing healthy teen dating habits to combat the violence that affects a significant portion of teen relationships. Bringing together people from various walks of life, the month serves to educate teens and outsiders on positive habits of dating and what to look for in a positive and respectful relationship. To raise awareness, the Ohio Student Safety Advisory Council, a part of the Ohio School Safety Center, are hosting initiatives to support healthy teen dating.
In relationships, it is important to recognize the positive and negative characteristics of a partner and how you feel while in the relationship. In positive relationships, look for communication, respect, compromise, honesty, and a respect for personal boundaries. These aspects, and many others, ensure that relationships exist without violence or emotional harm. On the other hand, negative relationship characteristics can include controlling or aggressive behaviors, isolation, and pressure to perform activities. If you identify these characteristics in a relationship, it is best to address them quickly as to not worsen a scenario. It is very important to remember that relationships with positive attributes are not “lucky,” but are a given in any healthy relationship. For teens, who often have little experience in dating, these reminders and characteristics are very important to consider.
From the Love is Respect organization- a reputable group focused on providing education and resources for teens and adults on dating, 1 in 10 high school students experienced physical violence from a loving partner last year, an approximate 1.5 million teens. According to the Dating Violence Services Network– which hosts resources for eliminating abuse and promoting healthy lives, 1 in 3 teens in the U.S. experience some form of dating violence, including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Importantly, these trends of violence are even more widespread among LGBTQIA+ relationships, and women report rates of violence 3 times higher than any other demographic (Dating Violence Services Network).
Far too frequently, violent relationships lead to poor outcomes. According to the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center– an affiliate of the University of Washington, in 2024, 50% of young adults who experienced physical or sexual abuse in a relationship violence attempted suicide. Often, these individuals feeling these emotions lack people they can safely confide with, contributing towards repeated periods of hidden violence in which little is done to end the cycle.
What is Being Done
Throughout the month, groups, including the Ohio Student Safety Advisory Council, have hosted initiatives to raise awareness and inform the public about violence in teen relationships. The Student Council, composed of teenage students, is engaging in a variety of initiatives, including informative infographics on healthy vs. unhealthy teen behaviors, the spreading of important statistics, and public service announcements in schools around the state. The Student Council will also see many of their items posted on social media throughout the month, where you can find important information and statistics like those mentioned in this article.
Other groups, as well, hosted initiatives to recognize the month, including the Love is Respect organization, whose 2026 theme included the message “real love respects,” echoing themes of understanding and communication where partners can feel heard. Their initiatives included Respect week from February 9-13 including Wear Orange Day on February 10th. The Ohio Student Council planned the majority of its initiatives for implementation during the week of February 23-27, where most social media updates and public announcements will be made. You can find many of these items on the Ohio School Safety Center website www.ohioschoolsafetycenter.ohio.gov or on Instagram @ohioschoolsafetycenter. You can also see the flyers below for more information on the topic. These flyers will be hung up in many schools around the state to help students with teen dating.
What You Can Do
Throughout the month, continue to learn about positive relationship behaviors. Understanding these relationships “do’s and don’t’s” are very important for all ages, beyond the scope of teenagers. With that, students are encouraged to keep learning, to implement their knowledge into real life relationships, to recognize warning signs in their own or other relationships, to address issues that arise, and to always remain supportive to others in need. Adults, including parents and educators, are encouraged to always be available for student support, to also keep learning about positive and negative characteristics of relationships, and engage in discussion with teens regarding personal experiences and helpful advice, shaping their mindset for future relationships.
Remember, there is always something you can do to help yourself or someone else. One of the easiest ways is to talk to someone you trust. The National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support young people and prevent violence in relationships. You can call 1-866-331-9474 or text LOVEIS to 22522 for support.
