Solano Youth Coalition Takes On Teen Dating Violence

From the Solano County Office of Education: On November 8th members of the Solano Youth Coalition (SYC) completed the final session in a series of trainings on teen dating violence and healthy relationships provided by the Solano Family Justice Center (SFJC). The trainings began in August and covered topics on: Dating Violence 101, Social Media, Alcohol, Drugs and Violence, and Consent and Healthy Relationships. Last year, SYC members expressed interest in understanding the warning signs of teen dating violence, what a healthy relationship looks like and how to help a peer if they are in an unhealthy relationship.

A partnership was formed with the SFJC to develop a training for young people to explore prevention work that could be done in partnership with the SYC. Lisette Estrella-Henderson, Solano County Superintendent of Schools, says, “Students in the Solano Youth Coalition are the next generation of leaders and advocates in our community. The collaboration between the Solano County Office of Education and the Solano Family Justice Center is a perfect example of our youth engaging their adult allies in open communication about issues directly affecting them and their peers. The education they have acquired will allow them to help make their schools and communities safer.”

Karinda Stinnett, Deputy Director and Founder of Solano Advocates for Victims of Violence (SAVV), led the development of the training sessions and was an integral part of facilitating trainings. Stinnett enjoyed working with youth, saying “They are an incredible group of motivated individuals who are truly interested in helping their peers. We were inspired by their genuine interest in creating the campaign. They are a great asset to their schools and to our community”.

SYC members participated in educational activities that defined dating violence, explored prevalence and local statistics, the cycle of violence, warning signs of an abusive person and laws surrounding dating violence. They also learned about the role of the internet and social media including; digital abuse, sexting, sharing of photos, and laws around coercion, consequences of sharing photos. A session also focused on the role of how drugs and alcohol can play in teen dating violence and decision making. The final sessions on Healthy Relationships focused on what healthy relationships look like, creating a safety plan and approaching a friend in a violent relationship. In the last training, students also heard from a survivor and how she escaped her abuser.

SYC Member, Ofelia Ortiz says,” I wanted to take the opportunity to focus on this topic because it is one that I believe does not receive as much recognition as it should. Often people do not realize that an unhealthy relationship can be a matter of life or death. This work is important to me because I want victims to know that they ALL have a support system, such as the Family Justice Center, and most importantly their own strength to get them through”. Students who attended the trainings hope to train their peers and to ultimately become ambassadors at their school sites; serving as the first point of contact for any youth in need.

“This unique collaboration was developed among the Solano Family Justice Center, Solano Advocates for Victims of Violence, Solano County Office of Education, and North Bay Medical Center, Trauma Department to bring much needed education and prevention services to the youth of Solano County. We thank the students of the Solano Youth Coalition for their participation and willingness to share this information with their peers. This is only the first step in our shared vision of combating domestic violence in our community through education and prevention” – Angel Aguilar, Director, Solano Family Justice Center.

These trainings were sponsored by North Bay Medical Center and hosted by the Solano Family Justice Center. If you, or anyone you know is a victim or survivor of domestic violence or teen dating violence, contact the Solano Family Justice Center at (707) 784-7635.

For more information about the Solano Youth Coalition, contact Johanna Nowak-Palmer at jnowak@solanocoe.net.

Image via Solano County Office of Education