In an attempt to incite more discussion with regards to dating violence in youth, last week a Colorado high school engaged in a 'textathon', where students were encouraged to send three people the message, "Speak out and be heard - Weboffriends.org". Web of Friends is a dating violence education website.

The event also focused on the definition of dating violence, specifically on "what behavior from a partner is inappropriate".

Studies have shown that almost half of all female college students in Canada have been "victimized in a dating relationship since leaving high school" (DeKeseredy and Kelly, 1993), and almost thirty percent of girls and thirteen percent of boys aged 11 to 20 have experienced some sort of dating violence or abuse (Jaffe, 1992).

Do you think a textathon will reduce dating violence in youth, or at least bring the subject out into the open for further debate? And no matter what your opinion on the textathon, what do you think we as fellow daters can do to reduce the incidence of dating violence?

References:

DeKeseredy, WS, and Kelly, KD (1993) "The incidence and prevalence of woman abuse in Canadian university and college dating relationships," Canadian Journal of Sociology: 18:137-59

Jaffe, PG, et al (1992) "An evaluation of a secondary school primary prevention program on violence in intimate relationships," Violence and Victims; 7: 129-46