Dating Violence Information
for Advocates & Service Providers

As advocates and community service providers, you can play an important role in educating teens about dating violence.

Whether you partner with your local schools to offer a dating violence prevention program in the classroom or you offer prevention programming in other community settings, you can play a key role in helping to reduce dating violence among teens.

Are You an Advocate?

Advocates are on the front line of the movement to end domestic and dating violence. You may be:

• An experienced domestic violence professional ready to apply your expertise to teens in abusive relationships
• An adult who works with youth or advocates for their rights and wants to learn more about dating violence
• A new supporter seeking to become a dating violence advocate
• A young person looking to become a voice against violence in your school or college campus

Regardless, you are a key ally in the movement to end dating violence.

What You Can Do

As a dating violence advocate, you have the opportunity to connect teens with the services they need to maintain their safety and build healthy relationships. Get started!

• Educate yourself on the issue. Learn the facts of dating violence
• Learn about the resources available to teens in abusive relationships, including information on their legal rights, safety planning and online advice
• Advocate for prevention education and comprehensive school policies in your community
• Build partnerships with your local schools and together, we can create a safer school environment
• Engage teens in the movement. Explore opportunities for youth activism in your community
• Explore the variety of training opportunities, and educational materials

The Respect WORKS! model can be easily adapted to for use in community settings such as Boys & Girls Clubs and after-school programs.

Domestic violence and sexual assault experts working at rape crisis centers, domestic violence coalitions and domestic violence shelters will benefit from using the Respect WORKS! model in their local prevention and intervention programs.

For more information about the role of advocates, visit Break the Cycle's page for Advocates.