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New law, local effort hits dating violence |
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Thursday, 04 February 2010 |
By KAREN CAMPBELL
Assistant Managing Editor
A law passed in Ohio late last year aims to prevent abuse by educating teens on dating violence.
Tina’s Law, named in memory of an 18-year-old from southwest Ohio killed by her former boyfriend in 1992, requires local school boards to adopt policies to prevent and address abusive student relationships, train staff on the subject and add lessons in dating violence prevention in seventh- through 12th-grade health classes.
It’s a lesson they have been coming into area schools and teaching for eight years, Julie Elsass, a teen, youth and adult advocate for the Auglaize County Crisis Center, said.
Even before the law is implemented prior to the 2010-11 school year, Elsass is visiting county schools this week during lunch for teen dating awareness week. February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month throughout the country.
“We’re still waiting to know for sure what all has to be included under the new law, but we’ve been going through the curriculum and pulling what we already do,” Elsass said.
Currently, advocates for the Crisis Center present programming each year at county schools. Lessons include how to recognize dating violence, warning signs, preventative education and resources to get help.
They’ve provided the lessons at Wapakoneta, New Knoxville, New Bremen, Minster and St. Marys districts in recent years.
“The program we do presently is about building healthy relationships,” Elsass said. “It raises awareness of power versus control and healthy versus unhealthy relationships.”
She said they are sending letters to high schools now to determine how they can assist in providing for the requirements of the new law.
“It will probably encompass quite a bit more than what we are doing now,” Elsass said. “Sometimes, what looks like love is really a control tactic. The goal is to raise awareness and get people talking about it.”
She said the purpose of the law is to save lives.
No statistics were available on the number of Auglaize County teens affected by dating violence.
“We want to be able to reach kids at a young age and teach them what’s OK and not OK,” Elsass said.
They also plan to collaborate with the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office as part of education efforts.
“This is very important, to get this mandated,” Elsass said. “With the curriculum in schools, it’s hard to get in and do programming, but if it’s written into the curriculum there’s a better chance to get in and reach as many kids as possible.”
Named for Tina Croucher, the law was heavily advocated by her parents, who also started “Citizens Against Domestic Violence,” and Elsass said she is working to try and get them to come in and do assemblies in the county.
“It’s so important to get this information out to students,” said Elsass. “We want to keep everybody safe.”
Wapakoneta High School Principal Aaron Rex said while he doesn’t get many reports of domestic violence between teens, he thinks it is a good idea to educate them.
“Over the last few years, there have only been a few examples where we felt we should be concerned,” Rex said. “But I don’t know that they always report it.”
He said even though they are young, teens take their relationships seriously and adults need to realize that, not just blowing them off as if they are no big deal.
“I think it’s a good idea to have the information,” Rex said. “Hopefully, it can prevent problems. We want them to at least be aware that this is wrong.”
While some may argue that the place for this type of education is in the home, not at school, Rex said more and more nowadays schools are providing information on a number of issues they may not have before.
“We’re teaching a lot and hopefully reinforcing what they are talking about at home,” Rex said. “If there is a need, we definitely want to provide it. The big thing is keeping kids safe.”
Even with his own children, Rex said this is a topic he would definitely have conversations about at home but maybe if they learn about it at school, too, it will reinforce what parents are saying.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 05 February 2010 )
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