El Paso community resources for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

February is known as the month of love and friendship as most people celebrate Valentine's Day, but it is also Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

The CDC has reported one in 12 teens experience some form of physical dating violence, and one in 10 teens experience sexual dating violence. Female students experience higher rates of dating violence than male students.

This can lead to depression, anxiety, antisocial behaviors and turning towards alcohol or drugs to cope. 

In 2023, the latest report by The Texas Council on Family Violence recorded at least four fatalities due to domestic violence in El Paso County.

"I can also tell you that in our office we last year obtained 102 protective orders on behalf of minor victims, 47 of whom were teens who had experienced violence," said Aaron Setliff, Division Chief of the Protective Orders Unit of the County Attorney Office.

Dating violence also includes stalking and psychological aggression, or emotional abuse. 

El Paso County provides protective orders for victims of domestic abuse, dating violence, and human trafficking, who are seeking legal protection.

"I think it's important for teens or people to kind of be looking for, 'Am I feeling bad about myself? Am I being gaslighted or told one thing is true and I know it's not true? Or being isolated from family or friends, or having to, be on an allowance as an adult?' Or things like that," said Setliff. "Take a gut check and think about, okay, 'What are those tactics that are being used? And is that is that positive in my life?'"

The Center Against Sexual and Family Violence lists a few red flags of dating violence for teens to watch out for.  

"Especially with teens, like middle and high schoolers, sometimes their boyfriend or girlfriend or even their friends will have their passwords to social media or their phone. They'll go through their phone, they'll be checking on what they're doing…," said Shannon Reyna Greene, outreach facilitator at CASFV. "Those kind of behaviors that we deem toxic and we normalize, like being really controlling, being jealous, you know, belittling somebody, those can be abusive, for sure."

Parents can look out for signs in their teens, including isolation from friends and family, dressing up differently, behavior changes, being secretive, and lack of sleep.  

El Paso Independent School District is hosting an event to raise awareness, honoring survivors, and promoting healthy, safe relationships on Feb. 20 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Burges High School.