RICHMOND, Va. — One in 10 high school students has experienced physical abuse from a partner, according to new studies. A Richmond nonprofit is working to educate teens about healthy relationships and empower them to break the cycle of violence.
An energized group of Richmond high schoolers is making a difference through the YWCA's Empower RVA Teens program, a student-led initiative serving as a community service leadership opportunity aimed at preventing teen dating violence and sexual assault.
"I want this to be a safe space for all of our middle schoolers to understand and come to," Frankie Monroe said.
Monroe has been part of the program for the past two years. What she's learned has motivated her and her peers to create a day-long summit for middle schoolers.
Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a partner each year.
"I didn't get a full understanding of what's a healthy relationship. What should I know to make sure that I have strong connections, healthy relationships, and what are the signs I need to know if some relationship is looking to be abusive," Monroe said.
The teens dedicated the past year to planning the program alongside their advisors at the YWCA, a nonprofit organization that specializes in violence and abuse prevention.
"Everyone has the power to have conversations with their loved ones, with folks in their community, about, how do we recognize things that are unhealthy and abusive, and how can we foster and build healthy relationship skills in all of our relationships," YWCA Violence Prevention Specialist Sam Mickey said.
The summit brought together seventh and eighth graders on Saturday. Participants engaged in sessions focused on practicing consent, setting boundaries, and exploring healthy relationships.
"Young people, need spaces where they can ask questions and feel safe doing so," Monroe said. "So we can talk about things that are happening right now and how we feel in our opinion, and we're not going to be judged. We're not going to be shamed for it."
Applications will open at the end of this week for next school year's Empower RVA teen program. More information, click here.
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