February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and one program has been offering education on healthy relationships in NYC classrooms since 1999. Relationship Abuse Prevention Program (RAPP) teaches healthy relationships and signs of abuse to middle and high school students across the city. RAPP offers services such as individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, classroom and parent workshops and more. There is even a paid summer peer leadership program.
While US News found that research on the effectiveness of these programs in schools is limited, many experts agree that teaching the signs of unhealthy relationships and resources available is still beneficial. But barriers like stigma and parental opposition and lack of staff and time can prove to be challenging. Read here for more resources on talking to your teen about healthy relationships or to reach out to RAPP to request a workshop at your school, email mvannostrand@risingground.org.
