Interval House, OPP raises awareness for teen dating violence on Valentine's Day
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — This Valentine's Day, advocates in Hartford brought awareness to teen dating violence.
At a press conference Friday morning, leaders of Interval House, a nonprofit that runs a safe house and provides services for victims of domestic violence, highlighted the prevention work they have been engaged in across the state. They also raised concerns about the impacts they may face from a potential loss of federal funding.
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According to a 2013 study, one in three Americans between 14 and 20 years old reported they were victims of dating violence. Another study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2021 found that roughly one in 12 high school students reported having experienced physical dating violence. The same CDC study also reported that about one in 10 high school students experienced sexual dating violence.
'Let me repeat that,' Mary-Jane Foster, President and CEO of Interval House said. 'One in three teens report that he or she experiences physical or sexual violence in their dating relationship.'
In terms of prevention programs, Interval House has been teaming up with groups like Our Piece of the Pie (OPP) to reach young people in the state. OPP holds teen dating workshops aimed at educating youth about red flags in relationships.
Tajah Ryder, a youth life coach with OPP, said that through these workshops, she has seen some students begin to identify red flags in their own dating experiences.
In one teen dating violence workshop, Ryder said, a coach from OPP displayed a slide listing signs of unhealthy relationships.
'I had a young person, a 15-year-old female, sitting next to me and she whispered, she was like, 'Miss, all those signs, I've experienced in a past relationship and I had no idea that it was that bad,'' Ryder said.
Ryder added that the workshops OPP runs are especially crucial, as teen dating violence may be a difficult topic for teachers, mentors, or other adults to bring up.
'It's also nice to watch the young people kind of become their own teachers and really educate their peers as well through the process,' Ryder said.
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Ryder also noted the role that technology can play in contributing to or exacerbating teen dating violence. To address these issues, OPP has developed workshops specifically focused on 'technological abuse.'
'I think we know the aspects of like, sharing your location with a partner, constantly texting a partner but a like of folks don't really connect the dots to understand when that can be borderline abusive,' Ryder said.
Teen dating violence is a part of Interval House's broader mission to aid all victims of family and partner violence. Along with the 20-bed safe house in Hartford, they also provide a 24-hour hotline, counseling services and funding for victim advocates in court.
Foster said that roughly 80% of the federal funding they receive for those advocate positions could face cuts. She said that this could amount to $600,000 out of the Interval House budget which would cause them to lose 10 court advocates.
Meanwhile, members of Connecticut's Congressional delegation, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal, are pushing to preserve that funding.
Those in need can call the Interval House hotline at 860-838-8467 (or 844-831-9200 español).
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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