Austin McKenney
Oskaloosa
Amidst new academic ventures that come with the new school year, we cannot forget that schools are also a place for youth to learn about respect for themselves and others. Unfortunately, high rates of sexual assault and dating violence amongst high school and college students indicates that we need to be reinforcing healthy relationship models in our schools. A 2010 Centers for Disease Control study shows that nearly 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the United States experience rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime, often before the age of 25.
This scale of violence does not happen in a vacuum; patterns of abusive behavior often begin at a young age. CDC studies in 2009 and 2013 found that 1 in 5 young women and 1 in 10 young men had experienced abuse from a dating partner within a 12 month period. Warning signs and risk factors for dating violence include: poor ability to deal with anger; upholding unhealthy gender roles; witnessing or experiencing violence in the home and community; drug and alcohol abuse; and the belief that violence is a normal part of an intimate relationship.
Research suggests long-term education as an effective way to stop violence before it starts. Prevention education programs aim to change unhealthy perceptions and behaviors and replace them with models of healthy relationships and gender equality. These programs also promote peer-to-peer leadership skills, empowering youth to recognize and speak out against violence in their everyday lives. Prevention education must start at the elementary level and continue through middle and high school for our kids to grow up understanding that violence is an unacceptable part of any relationship. For more information about how to get violence prevention education into your school, or if you or a loved one are affected by sexual violence, please contact Crisis Intervention Services at 641-673-0336.