Submitted by Cameron Callahan for Teens Against Abuse
In the summer of 2020, I was among a group of Bellingham teens who volunteered to attend Teen Advocacy Academy, a prevention education program developed by Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (DVSAS) of Whatcom County, designed to help youth gain insight into the realities of domestic violence and sexual assault. DVSAS has been providing advocacy counseling, legal and medical advocacy, support groups, parenting classes, safe housing, and a 24-hour helpline (360.715.1563) in Whatcom County since 1979.
Going in, we assumed that this was purely an educational program and that we’d walk away with another bullet point for our resumes. However, this group of students felt inspired and that we needed to do something–an issue this important deserved to be talked about. We made a club to spread awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault. By providing education on healthy relationships to our peers, we hope to help them create positive connections and learn how to keep themselves safe from harm.
Since then, Teens Against Abuse, a peer education club, has done a multitude of activities, from launching our first social media campaign in 2021 for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month to tabling within the community, hosting educational events, and distributing homemade zines filled with students’ art, relevant information, and youth-specific resources.
Today, one in three adolescents in the United States will experience some form of emotional, sexual, or physical abuse in the United States. That’s 1.5 million teens a year. To make a dent in this statistic, Teens Against Abuse spreads awareness in Whatcom County middle and high schools through tabling and classroom-based prevention education to hundreds of students each year. It’s heartwarming to see students actively engage with the information we provide. We know we are making a difference. In just the few years since the club has been around, we can see that being able to have a presence in the schools has been incredibly impactful.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)
The history of the prevention movement in the United States runs deep. Back in the civil rights era, circa the 1940s and 1950s, people took to the streets to advocate for equal rights for everyone, and this gave way to discussions of the prevalence of sexual violence–previously seen as something to keep quiet. The movement picked up once more in 1971 when the first sexual assault crisis center was founded in San Francisco, California. Later, in 1993, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was passed, which granted legal protections to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking.
April was established as Sexual Assault Awareness Month by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) in 2001. Initially, there was a focus on spreading awareness to college campuses, workplaces, and communities. Over time, the campaign evolved into a bigger, more widespread movement, with organizations like NSVRC funding campaigns all over the country.
Throughout the month of April, Teens Against Abuse will be a frequent visitor to most of the middle and high schools of Whatcom County. Through our interactions with students, we hope to raise awareness and provide tools to help them make healthy relationship choices throughout their lives.
How to Get Involved in Teens Against Abuse
Teens Against Abuse accepts new club members on a year-round basis, and we are excited to welcome new leadership who can continue this important effort in the years ahead. To learn more about this dynamic, creative club, contact DVSAS Prevention Ed Coordinator Hanna Estes at hestes@dvsas.org or 360.671.5714 x1215 and fill out the application linked in the bio of our Instagram.
Cameron Callahan is a junior at Arizona State University pursuing a degree in Family and Human Development. She has been a youth volunteer peer educator with DVSAS TAA since 2020. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in marriage and family therapy.
