By Melissa Lampert, KHTS Staff Writer
In light of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, SCV Sheriff’s Station officials were joined by Linda Davies of the Domestic Violence Center of SCV on KHTS AM-1220’s latest “Santa Clarita Sheriff Talk,” sponsored by All American Bail Bonds in Santa Clarita.
One third of teens in the United States will experience at least a one-time occurrence of a domestic violence situation, whether it’s physical or emotional abuse, according to Davies.
“Domestic violence is a family issue; it’s not just an intimate partner issue,” she said. “What happens is that children see this growing up and they think that’s what love is. So– sad to say –we see it more come out in teens.”
The SCV Sheriff’s Station’s COBRA team investigates reports of dating abuse by teenagers and young adults; however few reports tend to actually be filed, according to Lt Brenda Cambra of the Sheriff’s Station’s Detective Bureau.
“I tend to think that teens tell their friends about these things, and among their friends, they try to solve the problem themselves,” Cambra said. “I don’t believe that they realize how dangerous it can be.”
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Echoing this statement, Davies noted that the majority of teens probably won’t call the Sheriff’s Station for help unless it’s an extreme case of abuse.
“It’s really about your friends helping you when they hear it that it’s not okay, and being able to know that there are resources out there,” Davies said.
To raise awareness about teen dating violence, the Domestic Violence Center of SCV is making an appearance at local high schools in an effort to reach students.
Through two programs called “Healthy Connections” and “In Touch with Teens,” organization officials teach teens about healthy relationships and bring in a young adult who has been in an abusive teen relationship to act as a relationship coach.
“She’s out of that now and in a healthy relationship, and she can be someone they connect with,” Davies explained. “Kids don’t want to be thinking about the fact that they’re in a domestic violence situation– that sounds horrific –so we have to talk to people about, how do you have a healthy relationship? That’s what people don’t know.”
The programs have resulted in a few calls from teenagers to the Domestic Violence Center, and school counselors have also referred students to organization officials.
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“A teenager can get a restraining order without telling her parents at the age of 13– that’s very important,” Davies said. “They can come to us; we don’t have to report it.”
In partnership with the schools, organization officials work to implement the same rules that would be in place at an elementary school if a child had a restraining order against one of his or her parents, and to ensure that the two students are not in the same classes.
The Sheriff’s Station and city of Santa Clarita have also partnered with the Domestic Violence Center of SCV to create a program called “Stop the Silence, Stand Up Against Violence,” which offers quarterly “trainings” for participants.
Cambra noted that signs a teenager could be involved in an abusive relationship include sudden isolation from their friends and family, constant communication with their partner and injuries that don’t seem to have plausible explanations.
“That would be a red flag that something’s wrong,” Cambra said. “When you add them all together, that might be a sign.”
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