·      Ms. Johnson stated adolescent society is confronted with a growing epidemic of sexual violence and teen dating violence which is affecting children early in age.  Children as young as 6^th grade are presenting to counselors’ different scenarios that they have encountered in their young lives. Teenagers often hesitate to seek assistance due to not wanting to expose themselves on how they have been violated and feel they are at fault. Unhealthy relationships during adolescence can be disruptive to emotional development and can contribute to long term negative side effects such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse and even possible suicide. Teen Dating Violence has had a surge in today’s youth and identification of it is vital to help individuals affected. 

·      Counselors should have programs set in place in their districts. If a student makes an outcry of any kind of violence that has occurred to themselves, the appropriate steps need to occur. In addition, protocols should be implemented for continuum care of the student which include can include outside counseling, involvement of local police department, and possible Child Protective Services. 

·      Counselors are often faced with students wanting to keep things very confidential. What if a victim wants the counselor to keep everything confidential? If an act being disclosed is a criminal act, confidentiality does not apply. As much as counselors are confided in, the victim might not realize it is the counselor’s job to protect them. It is best practice to make sure students know the counselor’s role as a support system but also as a mandatory reporter. 

·      Counselors fear the role of social media and sex trafficking. The two different topics are merging together as a dangerous situation for teenagers. School counselors are now being trained on how sex traffickers are using social media to recruit victims. Traffickers quickly target and connect with vulnerable children on social media. Social media has enabled traffickers to reach anyone no matter where you live, your economic status, or what race you are. Counselors are now bringing more training to address this topic which includes training for students, teachers, administrators, and parents. 

 

 

Stone, C. A. (2012, July 2). Sexual violence among our students: The school counselor’s legal role. ASCA School Counselor. Retrieved from: https://www.schoolcounselor.org/magazine/blogs/july-august-2012/sexual-violence-among-our-students-the-school-cou 

·      More than half of principals reported dealing with TDV and unclear on their role.

·      1 in 9 females reported being victims and 1 in 36 males reported being victims this last year. 

·      96% of principals referred victims to school counselors or nurses. 

·      Schools with no protocols had less discipline on perpetrators versus schools that had protocols.

·      Schools are becoming more proactive about educating students in preventing TDV.

·      Abusive relationships have a lifelong impact and many continue to be victims because no one is discipling them or educating them. 

·      Schools are in a position to make a difference and have a legal responsibility to prevent or respond to TDV. 

 

 

Prothero A. (2019, September 25). When teens are in violent relationships, should principals step in? Education Week. Retrieved from: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/2019/09/when_teens_are_in_violent_relationships_should_principals_step_in.html

·      Implement evidence-based effective interventions. This would be combining classroom lessons with school wide interventions programs addressing sexual harassment. This strategy would be in conjunction with other programs that have been recognized for their effectiveness including Safe Dates geared to middle schoolers, Coaching Boys to Men where coaches promote respectful behaviors, and Bystander Intervention (friends) which involve friends/acquaintances interrupting potentially harmful situation. Friends play a enormous role in disclosure of TDV and are instrumental in decision making. 

·      Implement school wide interventions not just in the classroom. This program maps safe and unsafe areas of the school so that staff can make needed modifications to prevent violence, create restraining orders to protect victims, and inundate the school’s hallways, offices, classrooms with messages and posters on safe teen relationships. 

·      Conducting staff training is one of the most essential of these strategies. Every single faculty and staff member need to understand the enormity of the problem sexual violence and how to implement different strategies. 

 

 

Stein, N. & Taylor, B. (2018, October 4). Stop pretending sexual assault can’t happen at your school. Education Week. Retrieved from: https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/10/05/stop-pretending-sexual-assault-cant-happen-in.html 

 

 

Comal Independent School District Parent Student Handbook (2019, August). (pp34-37). Retrieved from https://4.files.edl.io/348c/07/02/19/125814-87271b68-5e81-4b34-b200-dcc050a56d53.pdf

 

American School Counselor Association (2016), ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. Alexandria, V.A. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf

TDV can be prevented or reduced by engaging multiple stakeholders with multiple approaches. Parents, friends, and school staff can all be positive influences on adolescents and reduce risk.  Because we know the extreme importance of all relationships in an adolescent’s life, strategies can now be implemented in intervention and prevention strategies. 

 

 

 

Carlos, D. M., Campeiz, A. B., da Silva, J. L., Domingues Fernandes, M. I., da Cruz Leitão, M. N., Iossi Silv, M. A., & Carvalho Ferriani, M. das G. (2017). School-based interventions for teen dating violence prevention: integrative literature review. Revista de Enfermagem Referência, 4(14), 133–145. https://doi-org.easydb.angelo.edu/10.12707/RIV17030

·      School counselors need to be extensively versed on the laws regarding confidentiality. Students often confide in counselors regarding numerous different matters. Counselors have to be able to differentiate between what can be kept confident and what needs to be escalated. When a crime has been committed, confidentiality no longer applies and the necessary staff and organizations need to be notified. 

·      Social media is currently playing a more prominent role in TDV and the laws are ever changing because it is not addressed in previous laws.  Even though the laws and technology are changing constantly, social media can also be used as a tool for evidence if needed. Databases are able to retrieve information from devices even if it has been deleted or destroyed. 

·      School districts need to be proactive when dealing with TDV and can do this by educating. Inundating the school’s hallways, offices, classrooms with messages and posters of examples of what a safe relationship should be. Implement lessons into the classroom that address all forms of sexual harassment and assault. Create programs that have mentors, layout different processes for victim and perpetrators to get help, and also show the numerous resources that are available. 

·      Friends continue to play a significant role in TDV because most victims will disclose to friends in their social circles. Disclosure of abuse is imperative to stop the abuse. Victims that do not disclose abuse is usually due to embarrassment, safety, social reactions, self-blame, and feeling of powerlessness in a patriarchal culture. Friends are considered most helpful and can be the most impactful in TDV situations. Counselor’s may also want to consider programs can be improved by adding a specific component devised strictly for friends on how to better support victims of TDV.