2024 Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM)

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM). The Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services shares the following resources to help you immediately begin to raise awareness of healthy relationships and teen dating abuse. Find out more information on TDVAM .

• Read the White House Proclamation on National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, 2024 .  In his statement, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. says, “During National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, we bring this scourge out of the shadows, recommit to promoting healthy relationships, and join together with a clear message to survivors:  You are not alone.  Support is close by, and justice is within reach.”
• Download tools, training, and prevention information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's VetoViolence toolkit .
• Share the LoveIsRespect 2024 Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month Action Guide  (PDF)  for information on this year’s TDVAM theme, “Love Like That.” Selected by the love is respect Youth Council, “Love Like That,” illuminates what “that” means regarding healthy and unhealthy relationships. We know that love is more than a feeling; no matter how you define it, it’s essential to ensure you’re on the same page with your partner about the definitions and boundaries of your relationship. Teens and young adults express their love for one another in many ways, which differ from person to person or community. All expressions of love are valid. However, the essential aspect of “Love Like That” calls on us all to create a world of positive actions to express and show healthy love in various ways.
• Collaborate with community partners to build the capacity of parents, teachers, and other community members to identify and respond to signs of dating abuse among teens.  Domestic violence organizations need to have strong partnerships with schools, faith communities, cultural community centers, and other youth-serving organizations. These organizational partnerships can also provide great opportunities to connect with local youth leaders in your community! For strategies to engage parents, schools, and other youth-serving organizations in dating violence prevention and healthy relationship skill-building, check out the PreventIPV Tools Inventory .
• Special Collection:  This special Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence  collection emphasizes collaborative and multi-level approaches to the prevention of and response to teen dating violence (TDV). It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations. The first section of this special collection provides general information about teen dating violence. The following six sections include TDV information related to 1) young people, 2) bystanders, 3) parents and caregivers, 4) men and boys, 5) teachers and school-based professionals, 6) health care professionals, 7) pregnancy prevention programs, and 8) domestic violence and sexual violence service providers. The final section presents documents on TDV-related laws and legislation. The special collection concludes with national programs that address TDV and a list of national and statewide organizations and programs.
• Watch the 2023 Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month Podcast!   Where teens from across the country talk with OFVPS and loveisrespect about healthy relationships, how teen dating violence impacts our community, and peer to peer tips on understanding the warning signs of teen dating violence.
• Join an event posted on the Office of Family Prevention Programs and Services, 2024 OFVPS Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month Event Calendar (PDF) OFVPS proudly supports this year’s public awareness campaigns, webinars, social media events, blogs, radio shows, etc., coordinated by our grantees and partners to promote healthy adolescent relationships. For additional information on this month’s events, contact Jan Sheri Morris, OFVPS program manager, at jan-sheri.morris@acf.hhs.gov or Holi Dahl management analyst, at holi.dahl@acf.hhs.gov.