The Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV) recently released a groundbreaking scenario-based training for adults who work or interact with teens. In Their Shoes: Teens and Dating Violence shows what dating is like for today’s teens – from their perspective.
The training was recently featured on New Day Northwest.
The parents of Dayna Fure - murdered by her ex-boyfriend on May 24, 2004, just before she was to graduate from Stanwood High School - funded the development of this training to invest in the lives of others and to turn their grief into action. “Our goal is to make a difference in the lives of others,” said Melody Hafner, mother of Dayna Fure. “I feel that my daughter did what she thought was right, but many people that she went to for advice needed more knowledge. It is my hope that when people experience In Their Shoes they get more information about what to look and listen for.”
On June 5, 2010 In Their Shoes was facilitated for New Beginnings staff and Board members. Here New Beginnings' Transitional Housing Women's Advocate Lorraine Williams and Board Member Julia Byrd read the scenerio facing their teen character.
According to the American Journal of Public Health, one in three teens has experienced some form of abuse in their dating relationship. “Abuse can look different in teen vs. adult relationships,” said Nan Stoops, executive director of WSCADV. “How we respond needs to differ as well.”
In Their Shoes: Teens and Dating Violence is a training kit for any group of adults such as teachers, counselors, youth group leaders, law enforcement, or parents. Participants become one of six teen characters. They make choices about their relationships and move through the scenario by reading about interactions with their dating partner, family, friends, police, counselors, and others. The teen characters are based on the experiences of real teens that include sexting, pregnancy, homophobia and stalking.
Watch the Q13 News Story on In Their Shoes.
Resources for teens and concerned adults:
Information courtesy of the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV).