February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and Provo Police Department’s Victim Services has been getting the word out about the issue. All month, informational posts have been put up on the Provo Police Victim Services Facebook page, in hopes of educating the public about the dangers, how to identify it and where to get help.

Teen dating is defined as physical, psychological, sexual abuse, harassment or stalking between people 12-18 years of age, who are romantically involved. In the United States, one in three teens will experience some type of dating violence while in a relationship with an abuser, according to a post from Feb. 1.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1-in-11 females and 1-in-14 males experienced physical dating violence in the last year. “Abuse can be hard to spot, especially if the individual is trying to hide it. Knowing the warning signs can help prevent the abuse or stop it,” reads a post, dated Feb. 8.

Warning signs include extreme jealousy or possessiveness from a partner, constant emails, texts or calls from a partner, isolation from other friends and family and abuse to other people or animals.

More than 10% of girls are victims of sexual dating violence each year.

“The biggest issue with teen dating violence is more the factor of consent,” said Provo Police Sgt. Nisha King. “I would implore parents to have conversations with their teenagers about Utah law consent, whether an action or verbal communication. The biggest issue is, ‘Well, I didn’t feel like I wanted to be part of the situation’ or they feel uncomfortable, but people can’t read each other’s minds.”

King said that parents need to have open, honest communication with their teenagers. In a dating situation, partners need to know they can say, “Stop. I don’t want this to happen,” and communicate clearly about their situation. “Some young ladies come forward and say they didn’t want this to happen. But, they didn’t say to stop or physically try to stop the situation,” King said.

Another major issue, according to King, is online communications between teenagers. “We want parents to be aware. We see a number of cases where people are not representing themselves openly and honestly. Parents need to know with whom their kids are speaking and how much personal information they are putting out there,” she said.

Lily Ramirez is Provo Police Department’s Victim Services Coordinator. She said that often, teenagers don’t feel comfortable talking to a parent if they are in a situation where they are romantically involved and feel uncomfortable or that they are not being treated appropriately. “They can reach out to their school resource officers or call our advocate line and we can give them help,” she said.

“If parents feel that their teenagers are being abused or are in unhealthy relationship, we can help them obtain a protective order to give them a sense of security,” Ramirez said. “Parents should be aware and in tune with their teenagers and what they are doing online. A lot of abuse happens online through social media.”

Isolation is often a warning sign that parents can see. “They don’t hang out with their friends anymore. It’s about one individual who has control over them,” Ramirez said. “Parents can open up a conversation and say, ‘Hey, what’s going on?'” Other signs can include a change of appearance, such as suddenly not wearing makeup or suddenly being withdrawn.

The Provo Police Victim Services intake phone number is 801-852-6375. Victims or parents do not need to give their names when calling, they can still receive information and resources. If a call is made after hours and a voicemail is left, the call will be returned. Ramirez urged anyone who feels they are unsafe call 911.

More information can be found on the Provo Police Victim Services Facebook page. “Teen dating violence is an all-too-common crime. Nearly 1.5 million high school students experience some type of physical abuse from their dating partner in a single year. Additionally, 1 in 3 girls in the United States are a victim of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner. Lastly, 1 in 3 dating college students gave their dating partner their computer, email, or social network passwords and these students are more likely to experience digital dating abuse,” reads a Feb. 14 post. “If you are a victim of this crime, we encourage you to reach out.”

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