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February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
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Posted on Feb 15 2023
Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang is joined by the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence director Maisie B. Tenorio, Youth Affairs Office special assistant Delbert T. Pua, Da’ok Academy principal Christine Tudela, the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence, the faculty and staff of Da’ok Academy, and community partners, after proclaiming the month of February 2023 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Teen dating violence and efforts to raise awareness of this issue took centerstage last Thursday with the signing of a proclamation designating February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.
Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, in his capacity as acting governor, signed the proclamation at the Da’ok Academy in the presence of members of the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence and several other community partners, including NMCADSV director Maisie B. Tenorio, Youth Affairs Office special assistant Delbert T. Pua, Da’ok Academy principal Christine Tudela, and members of the faculty and staff of Da’ok Academy.
Te proclamation highlighted several statistics relating to teen dating violence among young men and women, with 26% of women and 15% of men being victims of physical violence, sexual violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and other forms of violence before the age of 18.
Close to a one in 11 female and one in 14 male high school students reported having experienced physical dating violence in 2019, with many victims of this type of violence either attempting suicide or getting involved in some sort of substance abuse, risky sexual behavior, and develop eating disorders. Despite the prevalence of this issue, often only one out of three individuals report them.
“Therefore, as adult allies, we have a duty not to ignore, downplay, remain silent on, or support attitudes and beliefs that allow violence and abuse to continue. It is crucial that we work to raise awareness and empower teens with tools to help themselves and their peers in abusive relationships,” the proclamation states.
Apatang urged the CNMI community to come together this month “to raise awareness about abuse in teen relationships, empower our youth to make healthy choices in relationships, and promote programs that prevent this so that we may break the hurtful cycle of dating violence so that our youth can live lives free of violence and abuse.”
