Step Up Speak Out

 

Make the Connection

For many teens who have had boyfriends or girlfriends, dating pressures aren’t simple adolescent angst; they’re power and control issues that commonly underpin abusive relationships.

• Nearly two-thirds of these teens (64%) were with someone who “acted really jealous and asked where they were all the time.”
• Almost half of teens who have been in a relationship (47%)—and 55% of those who describe theirs as serious—have done something that compromised their own values in order to please their partner.
• One in five teens who have been in relationship (21%) have been with a partner who tried to prevent them from seeing family or friends.
• More 16-18s than 13-15s (24% and 15%, respectively) have endured this type of controlling behavior.

Troubling numbers of teens in relationships are further exposed to verbal, emotional, and even physical threats.

• Three out of five (61%) said that they’ve had a boyfriend or girlfriend who made them feel bad or embarrassed about themselves.


A startling 30% reported worrying about their personal physical safety in a relationship.

• A concerning 15% of those who have been in a relationship—and 20% of those who have been in a serious relationship—have been hit, slapped, or pushed by a boyfriend or girlfriend.

_{Statistics from Liz Claiborne Inc., Conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited, Teen Relationship Abuse Survey (February 2005).}

Make a Difference

Start by educating yourself and your community:

• Familiarize yourself with this site and learn how to Step Up and Speak Out to support teens in your family and community.

Step up and get involved:

• Become a mentor for teens in your community.
• Create a poster campaign in your community about healthy relationships or use the current Step Up Speak Out posters.
• Create a public service announcement for your community or use the public service announcements from past Step Up Speak Out campaigns. 
• Participate in your local domestic violence/sexual assault programs awareness activities. Find the program serving your community.

Speak out and be an active bystander:

• Step up if you see a teen or adult treating other students in a disrespectful manner.
• Speak out against inappropriate jokes.

Learn more ways to Step Up and Speak Out!

• Discover ways to share information about healthy and unhealthy relationships by implementing the  Reaching and Teaching Teens to Stop Violence curriculum in your local youth groups, after school programs, church groups, etc. Designed for youth and young adults in grades 6-12, the curriculum combines lesson plans, activities, role plays, examples of teen survivors experiences, and valuable resources. Read more and find out how you can order it for your own community!