Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero; EAFocus Communications; barbara@eafocus.com; 248.260.8466; Turning Point: Denise Figurski; 248.890.0767
Mount Clemens, Mich.—February 7, 2025— Turning Point, an agency whose mission is to empower survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking through comprehensive services and resources, continues to highlight its youth outreach in February, which is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.
“Dating violence can start as young as 12,” Turning Point President and CEO Sharman Davenport, Ph.D., said. “That’s why Turning Point has targeted efforts focused on young people, such as our longstanding school prevention education program and our new Youth Advisory Board.”
Turning Point provides dating violence education sessions for middle and high school youth throughout Macomb and surrounding counties to teach teens how to recognize it, ways to get support and support others, and what healthy relationships look like. First introduced in 1996, Turning Point now offers prevention programs to 14 high schools and five middle schools, educating teens about healthy and safe relationships early on and helping them understand that violence and threatening and coercive behaviors designed to intimidate or control another person are unacceptable at any age.
In 2024, Turning Point established a Youth Advisory Board comprised of nine teens from area high schools who meet monthly for the purpose of providing new ideas, advocating for teen survivors, and giving youth a voice by empowering their autonomy. The goal of the Youth Advisory Board is to help build youth-centered solutions to make services more accessible to teens, spread awareness and create networks, and advocate for policy change.
Other services offered by Turning Point to help prevent and address teen dating violence, include:
- Workshops for educators and school staff on ways to support youth experiencing domestic violence, sexual violence, or human trafficking.
- Presentations for parents and caring adults on how to talk with children and teens about healthy relationships and consent.
- Free, confidential services for teens including individual counseling and a 24-hour hotline.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), teen dating violence may take the form of sexual violence, physical violence, psychological aggression or stalking, akin to the signs of intimate partner violence adults experience. Though similar to adults, teen dating violence or abuse aren’t always identified as such because teens aren’t living together or considered old enough to be in a serious relationship. Certain teen partner behaviors may also be normalized. For example, teens may believe that a partner’s extreme jealousy is a sign that they care, but in reality, it’s likely a warning sign of controlling behaviors. Bringing attention to teen dating violence is critical. As reported by the American Psychological Association, up to 19% of teens experienced dating violence.
Turning Point’s 24-hour hotline is always available at 586-463-6990 to help those impacted or those who may know someone involved in teenage dating violence. Free, confidential advocacy/counseling is also available by calling 586-463-4430. Teens aged 14+ are able to access up to 12 confidential counseling sessions to help reduce barriers and support teens in how to have those conversations with trusted adults in their lives.
About Turning Point
Marking 45 years in 2025, Turning Point provides free, confidential, inclusive, and accessible services to honor the unique needs, identities, and experiences of survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking. Services include a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, housing, counseling, legal advocacy, personal protection order support, forensic nurse and first response advocacy, prevention, and community education. In addition to these programs, Turning Point operates Second Hand Rose, a resale store that offers gently used merchandise to the community to support survivors and the agency’s mission. On average, Turning Point provides services to over 27,000 survivors and community members annually. Visit www.turningpointmacomb.org for more information.
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