The Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana, and the YWCA will host “Eyes Wide Open,” part of the YWCA’s Relationship Awareness series for teens, to recognize February being Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

On Thursday, March 3, at 6:30pm (doors open at 6pm) at the Girl Scouts Leadership & Learning Center, 10008 Dupont Circle Drive East 46825, hear from experts Jennifer Rohlf, Community Education Coordinator, and Seth Kohrman, Community Educator, both of the YWCA, and learn the signs of teenage dating violence and abuse, and what you should do if you recognize them. This is a free event and open to the public. To RSVP call 260.422.3417 or email tony.belton. Parents, teens and pre-teens are encouraged to come.

Teenage dating and violence should not go hand in hand, but too often they do. 1 in three teens is in an abusive relationship, and because of that staggering statistic Mayor Tom Henry has proclaimed February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month in Fort Wayne, which gives our community an opportunity to shed light on one of the most devastating, but often hidden, dangers that our young people face.

The statistics surrounding Teen Dating Violence are astounding:

· One out of threeteens will experience dating violence.

· Violent relationships in adolescence can have serious ramifications of putting the victims at increased risk for substance abuse; eating disorders; and future domestic violence.

· About 72% of eighth and ninth graders are “dating.”

· Only 33% of teens who were in an abusive relationship ever told anyone about the abuse.

· 81% of parents believe that teen dating violence is not an issue or admit that they don’t know if it is an issue.

YWCA Northeast Indiana has compiled a Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month toolkit, which can be found at YWCA.org/NEIN. The contents of this toolkit are meant to guide adults through the weeks of February with ideas and resources to engage the youth in dialogue surrounding dating violence and healthy relationships.