School strives to prevent teen dating violence
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BY JASON COHEN
While February is known
for Valentine’s Day, it also Teen
Dating Violence Awareness
Month. Sadly, according to statistics,
one in 10 NYC teens are
facing dating violence.
One school is looking to
curb these statistics by offering
counseling to teens in relationships.
Day One, a non-profi t,
hosts a Relationship Abuse
Prevention Program (RAPP)
at The Marie Curie School
for Medicine, Nursing and
Health Professions, 120 W.
231st Street. RAPP is in eight
schools throughout the city,
including Health Opportu-
A Relationship Abuse Prevention Program (RAPP) workshop held at a
school. Photo Courtesy Thoams Donley
nities High School at 350 Gerard
Avenue.
“A social worker is defi -
nitely needed in schools,” said
Dilcia Erazo, the RAPP coordinator
at Marie Curie. “A lot
of schools don’t have as many
social workers as they need.”
Day One is leading the effort
to combat intimate partner violence
among teens and young
adults through community education,
supportive services,
legal advocacy and leadership
development.
Erazo, 27, a licensed social
worker, has been involved with
the program since it began two
years ago.
Erazo explained that often
adults don’t see the warning
signs for teen violence and kids
don’t want to talk with them either.
She explained that most students
come to her because they
have poor communication in a
relationship.
According to Erazo, many
teens suffered childhood
trauma, which they have repressed
and has caused pent
up anger that is often taken out
verbally or physically on their
partner.
“A lot of them feel like they
have unhealthy communication,
but they don’t know how
to stop it,” she said.
She holds workshops and
sees kids voluntarily and those
who are referred to her by
teachers.
While many teens view it as
taboo to talk to a social worker,
they typically leave there feeling
better, Erazo noted. Some
students even see her on a regular
basis.
Furthermore, a lot of issues
arise from social media. Today’s
generation is constantly
posting on Facebook, Twitter
and Snapchat and that often
leads to jealousy and other social
problems.
“I really try to emphasize
that I’m here as a source for
them,” she expalined. “A lot of
times if they do come upset it
helps them at least to come to
a stable place and not leave the
school highly emotionable.”
One person who has seen
dating violence fi rsthand is
RAPPP peer educator Dana
Lizardo.
Lizardo, 16, began with the
program two years ago and has
seen the differnece it has made
with the students.
She explained her school is
on one fl oor, so gossip always
travels fast. Since becoming a
peer educator, she has learned
it’s imperative to love oneself ,
because only then can someone
be happy in a relationship.
When she knows there is an
issue in a relationship she refers
the kids to Erazo.
“I didn’t really understand
what relationship abuse prevention
was,” Lizardo said.
“Relationship abuse is not only
physical, it is emotional, social
fi nancial and verbal.”
A peer educator listens to students at one of the Abuse Prevention Program
workshops. Photo Courtesy Thomas Donley