Victim Services of Big Spring promotes Teen Violence Awareness Month ....

February is Teen Violence Awareness month and Victim Services of Big Spring is looking to make the community aware of this issue that impacts everyone – not just teens – but their parents, teachers, friends, and communities as well. Victim Services is hoping to raise the community’s awareness about teen dating violence and promote healthy and safe relationships.

“Every February, advocates, young people and their loved ones join together across the country to raise awareness against teen dating violence,” Director of Victim Services of Big Spring Linda Calvio said. “This annual, month-long push focuses on advocacy and education to stop dating abuse before it starts.”

There are detectable signs of dating violence that include unexplained injuries, frequent phone calls, texts demanding to know their whereabouts all the time, withdrawal from family and friends, being nervous or fearful around their partner. Other effects also include a sudden change in the style of their appearance, grades begin to drop in school, and crying or overacting to minor problems.

“As a community we need to talk to our children more about healthy relationships versus unhealthy relationships, we need to pay attention to changes or people in their lives,” Calvio said. “Talk to other parents if you notice something or hear from your children that there may be a problem with their friend.”

Data from the CDC indicated that nearly 1 in 11 females and 1 in 15 male high school students report having experienced physical dating violence in the last year. Also with that data, 26% of women and 15% of men who were victims of contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an inmate partner in their lifetime first experienced these or other forms of violence by that partner before the age of 18.

“Speaking up is the key to ending dating violence amongst teens and adults,” she said.

Local enforcement individuals can reach out to to address these issues include the Big Spring Police Department at (432-2642244) or the Howard County Sheriff’s Office at (432-263-3312). Victims can also reach out to their teachers, coaches, counselors, parents or other trusted adult figures, pastors or ministers and youth groups.

“Teen Violence Awareness Month is very important because it brings the problem to the forefront,” Calvio said. “It is imperative that the topic is discussed with our youth