Violence Free Colorado’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Check out this year’s DVAM resources! Click here.
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month
Resources on “teenDVmonth”
- Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships
- The Runaway & Homeless Youth Relationship Violence Toolkit
- LoveisRespect.org’s National Youth Advisory Board Respect Week 2015 Guide
Respect Week was developed as a special way to for young people to raise awareness during Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. The activities in this guide are easy to implement students and youth leaders in schools, sports programs, and youth/community groups of all kinds - Special Collection on Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence
January is National Stalking Awareness Month
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Resources on NSAM and Stalking:
- NSAM website
- Stalking Resource Center (at the National Center for Victims of Crime)
- 31 Days of Social Media
- More resources in Violence Free Colorado’s January eNewsletter
SAAM
April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). During SAAM, activists from around the country and Colorado seek to raise awareness about sexual violence and educate communities on how to prevent it. Sexual violence is one of many tactics used by perpetrators of domestic violence, and nearly 1 in 10 women has been raped by an intimate partner in her lifetime.
How will you raise awareness? Looking for ideas? Check out Violence Free Colorado’s SAAM Calendar for statistics, definitions, and activities that you can use as posts on Facebook or Twitter or to create your own SAAM calendar.
For more ideas, visit Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Find out about events, explore their media guide, and even download custom SAAM Facebook cover pics!
More resources on SAAM and about sexual assault:
Child Abuse Prevention Month
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. The high co-occurrence of child abuse and domestic violence is undisputed. Further, even witnessing domestic violence leads children to exhibit symptoms and behaviors that mimic those who have been physically abused themselves.
The Facts*:
- Witnessing violence between one’s parents or caretakers is the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next.
- Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults
- 30% to 60% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse children in the household.
The most important element to help children progress in a positive way despite their history of/exposure to abuse, is a strong and nurturing relationship with a nonviolent parent. So this month, we’re focused on promoting the nurturing of children in our communities: Create Nurturing Children Pinwheel. Print out the worksheet and create your own!
Other resources: