Choose Respect Conference on Healthy Teen Dating Scheduled for April 2

CHOOSE RESPECT CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS HEALTHY TEEN DATING

February 20, 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

Toby Knapp, master of ceremonies in the afternoons on Hot 99.5, will emcee the event. Knapp is on air Monday-Friday from 2:00 PM until 7:00 PM.

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.