Choose Respect Conference on April 2 Open to Youth and Parents: Tips on Safe Relationships

Sponsors Include MCPS, IHEART Radio and Verizon

March 14, 2017: The 2017 Choose Respect conference is scheduled for April 2, 2017 from 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville. Parents, teens, youth service providers, educators and others will discuss the problems around teen dating violence and ways to establish healthy relationships. To register, follow this link: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/fjc/chooserespect.html.

Debbie Feinstein, Senior Assistant State's Attorney, Chief, Special Victims Division in Montgomery County, Maryland is the conference chair. “I am delighted that IHeart Radio is a major sponsor of the event and that Toby Knapp, Hot 99.5 and Sabrina Conte, 97.1 WASH-FM (both pictured) will be our emcees. Other celebrities from IHeart who are attending include Lisa Berigan, BIG 100. Mike Jones, DC101 and Michael J from WMZQ. I urge students and parents to attend this important event," said Ms. Feinstein.

Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year. One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence. One in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend. One quarter of high school girls have been victims of physical or sexual abuse.

There will be a pre-conference Red Carpet, where attendees will be given the opportunity to take selfies, use the hashtag #respectyourselfie2017, and tweet information about the event and what they are learning. Sponsors include Verizon, Montgomery County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, Montgomery County Public Schools, IHeartRadio, Montgomery County Family Justice Center Foundation, AWARE and Zoomph. Prize money will be awarded to the PSA winners by Verizon. This year the conference will once again feature a PSA contest for students. To enter, go to: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/fjc/chooserespect.html

Students in sixth grade through high school are urged to attend. They will be in tracks according to age. One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence. One in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend. A session for parents and guardians is scheduled concurrent with the youth break-outs.