Recognizing Signs of Teen Dating Abuse

Teen Dating Abuse Program on School District’s Website What would you do if you knew a teen was in an abusive relationship? A program entitled Teen Relationships and Dating Violence, on the Video on Demand feature of the Scarsdale School District’s website, offers excellent guidance for teens, parents and even bystanders.

This program, originally presented at the Scarsdale High School (SHS) PTA’s November 8, 2011 meeting, features an SHS Drama Club skit about healthy and unhealthy teen relationships, and a discussion by experts of teen relationship issues. Both high school and college students, who often witness control and abuse in relationships, can play a critical role in helping affected peers.

“Teens should talk with their friends about what they would do if they or a friend found him or her in an abusive relationship, whether as the abused person or the abuser,” says SHS Youth Outreach Worker Lauren Pomerantz, who with the Scarsdale Coalition on Family Violence helped develop the presentation.

Pomerantz urges parents, teens and all Scarsdale residents to watch the program, and to use it to begin a conversation with their children and neighbors or peers. “No one needs to suffer alone,” she adds. “Once we learn the warning signs, we can all step up on behalf of victims—as friends, peers or ourselves.”