Healthy Relationships:
Here is a selected list of organizations focused on educating young people; preventing dating violence; and providing direct support as needed.
Boston-area Resources
Raising Caring, Respectful, and Courageous Children – brief video in which Richard Weissbourd, co-director of the Making Caring Common Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, discusses Raising Caring, Respectful, and Courageous Children and Preventing Cruelty and Bullying. A recent article on the project and raising kind children is available online here.
REACH Beyond Domestic Violence – provides safety and support to survivors of abuse while engaging communities to promote healthy relationships and prevent domestic violence.
The Second Step – The Second Step is a community of survivors, advocates, and volunteers who foster the safety, stability, and well-being of those who have experienced domestic violence. We provide comprehensive services, including safety planning, legal advocacy, counseling, peer support, transitional housing, and other essential services to adults, youth, and children in Greater Boston and MetroWest.
Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Roundtable raises awareness about domestic violence through community education and networking and improves coordination between public and private services for victims and families touched by domestic violence. Members include: local police departments, domestic violence service providers, clergy, local legislators, health professionals, school personnel, youth workers, legal professionals, elder services providers and private citizens.
Domestic Violence Services Network, Inc. (DVSN) is a community-based coalition founded by the Concord Police Department. DVSN runs a Domestic Violence Victim Assistance Program, a Court Support Program and education and outreach programs.
Journey to Safety is the domestic abuse program of Jewish Family & Children’s Service. They offer support and assistance to all survivors of domestic abuse who contact them, regardless of a person’s religion, beliefs, culture, background, or country of origin. They also provide culturally-competent and religiously-sensitive services specifically for Jewish abuse survivors in addition to services in English and in Russian.
Brave: Broadening Relationship and Violence Education. bra♥e is participatory action research group committed to reducing teen dating violence in Massachusetts. They aim to connect people to resources, disseminate research-based information, advocate for better prevention policy, and raise awareness about the human rights violation that is teen dating violence.
National Resources
Love is Respect – a national 24-hour resource for teens and young adults seeking one-on-one support from trained Peer Advocates. Phone, text, online chat
That’s Not Cool – a national public education campaign showing digital examples of controlling, pressuring, and threatening behavior to raise awareness about and prevent teen dating abuse.
Break the Cycle & Love is Not Abuse – honest, practical help and information for teens and young adults, from learning the warning signs of abuse to safety planning to navigating the legal system.
National Domestic Violence Hotline – 800.799.7233 – 24-hour support through advocacy, safety planning, resources and hope to everyone affected by domestic violence.
Hardy Girls Healthy Women – a nonprofit organization dedicated to the health and well being of girls and women.
Futures Without Violence – works to prevent and end violence against women and children around the world.
Start Strong – Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships (Start Strong) was a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in collaboration with Blue Shield of California Foundation (BSCF) and Futures Without Violence. From 2008 to 2012, RWJF and BSCF invested $18 million in 11 Start Strong sites across the country to promote healthy relationships among 11- to 14-year-olds and identify promising ways to prevent teen dating violence.
Kidshealth.org – a safe, private place for teens who need honest, accurate information and advice about health, emotions, and life.
GirlsHealth – information for girls on safe dating and recognizing an unhealthy relationship
At Your Library – links to resources for parents and schools on information about reducing teen dating violence
Words Can Work – produces and distributes the highest quality evidence-based DVDs and booklets for young people, parents/other caregivers, about the public health challenges kids face growing up.
Healthy Teen Network — is focused on teen pregnancy prevention, teen pregnancy and parenting. Other teen health resources as well, including a healthy relationship list online here.
Voices Against Violence – providing counseling, psychiatric, consultation, and prevention services that facilitate students’ academic and life goals and enhance their personal growth and well-being. Excellent resource on healthy relationships and dating and relationship violence.
Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund Bookmark
Volunteering:
Do Something loves teens. They are creative, active, wired…and frustrated that our world is so messed up. DoSomething.org harnesses that awesome energy and unleashes it on causes teens care about. Almost every week, we launch a new national campaign. The call to action is always something that has a real impact and doesn’t require money, an adult, or a car. With a goal of 5 million active members by 2015, DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations in the US for teens and social change.
A Platform for Good (PFG) is a project of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) designed to help parents, teachers and teens to connect, share, and do good online!
