Classroom Education:

The Be Project’s classroom education program provides age and culturally appropriate education through a 10-week high school program. These lessons are designed to educate and teach skills for healthy relationships, in their teen years and beyond.

Teacher and Parent Engagement:

All members of the community – faculty, staff, and parents – have important roles in preventing dating violence and promoting healthy relationships. Be Project staff will provide training and support to adults engaging with youth on a daily basis.

School Wide Engagement:

Involving the entire school community in a prevention campaign, Be Project staff work alongside students as they work to increase awareness of dating violence with a goal of creating a positive and respectful school environment. Strategies are developed by feedback from students, parents, and school staff and are unique to each individual.

Support Groups:

Using a psychoeducational teen dating violence curriculum, Be Project’s support groups are designed to create a safe and supportive atmosphere for students to process, learn about, and promote healthy relationships. Group topics include dating violence, healthy relationships, listening skills, healthy communication, and knowledge of community resources.

Be More Leadership Training:

Selected students can also participate in Be More, a leadership program that equips students with skills to spread the message of nonviolence to their peers. Be More students build advocacy skills and are challenged to develop a youth-led awareness campaign to deliver in their schools around the issues of teen dating violence and related social justice issues.

BE INFORMED:

Warning signs that your teen may be in an abusive relationship

• Decrease in self-esteem since entering the relationship.
• The interests, values, and desires of their partner dominate the relationship.
• Their partner is using name calling, threats, intimidations, insults, manipulation, physical or sexual abuse.
• Their partner feels entitled to be in control and always decides how things will be.
• They are afraid to break up; the partner will not leave them alone.
• Your teen no longer spends time with friends and only spends time with their partner.
• Your teen receives constant text messages from their partner.

BE AWARE:

Red flags of unhealthy behavior

• Verbally abusive
• Jealousy
• Controlling behavior
• Isolates partner from family/friends
• Nothing is ever good enough
• Threats of violence
• Past violence in relationships
• Disrespectful of others
• Does not respect privacy
• Playful use of force
• Blames others for feelings/problems
• Rigid roles for men and women
• Breaks personal property
• Cruelty to animals or children
• Quick to take things personally

BE SUPPORTIVE:

Talking with your teen

• Listen to what they have to say; give your teen a chance to talk freely.
• Empathize and validate their feelings.
• Believe your teen; take any form of abuse seriously.
• Let them know no one deserves to be hurt and this is not their fault.
• Encourage your teen to document the abuse (e.g., keep a journal, save emails and texts, etc.)
• Communicate with a professional in your teen’s school or community and work with them to support your teen and create a safety plan.
• Make sure your teen has a strong support system. School counselors, you, other trusted adults, and healthy peer relationships are all important parts of a support network.

BE CONNECTED:

Resources

• The Family Place Domestic Violence Hotline
  • www.familyplace.org
  • 214-941-1991
• Love is Respect National Dating Abuse Helpline
  • www.loveisrespect.org
  • 1-866-331-9474 or text “LOVEIS” to 22522
• Dallas Area Rape Crisis Hotline
  • www.dallasrapecrisis.org
  • 972-641-RAPE
• National Sexual Assault Hotline
  • www.rainn.org
  • 800-656-HOPE
• National Suicide Prevention Hotline
  • www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
  • Call or text 988