Proclamation aimed at ending teen dating violence
WAYNESBURG – Greene County commissioners Thursday proclaimed February 2014 as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month in Greene County.
The proclamation urges county residents to work toward ending teen dating violence by empowering young people to develop healthier relationships; assisting victims in accessing the information and supportive services they need; creating better and more resources for young people in need; instituting effective intervention and prevention policies in schools; and engaging in discussions with family members and peers to promote awareness and prevention of the quiet epidemic of teen dating violence.
“We have to start somewhere to stop this,” said Natalie Schwoerer, Greene County satellite office counselor/advocate for Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
“It is very important for us to educate our youths and teens and help stop this cycle.”
Schwoerer noted one in three adolescent girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, but that not everyone knows that help is available or where to go. For more information, call the Greene County satellite office at 724-852-2463.