Guthrie Junior High students formed human ribbons on Oklahoma Avenue Thursday afternoon in honor of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.
Seventh and eighth grade students in Jeanette Blevins’ Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) classes formed two separate human ribbons for the cause that is sponsored by www.loveisrespect.org.
Wings of Hope Family Crisis Services, based out of Stillwater, will be starting a program called Start Talking that will be designed to engage, educate and empower youth to build lives free from dating abuse.
“As many as one in three teens will experience abuse in a dating relationship,” Prevention Program Coordinator Julia Aikman said. “Sadly, dating abuse can happen in any community regardless of gender, ethnicity or background.”
Aikman says the program does not include any sexually explicit content, but does address sexual abuse in general definition terms.
Aikman quickly points out that all teens may not be dating, and that some parents may not want their teens to date until they are older.
“Start Talking does not push relationships or dating on students, but rather provides them with the tools and information they need to date safely and respectfully,” Aikman said.
Thank you so much Chris Evans for getting our message out to the public…..You are doing an amazing job for the city of Guthrie!!!!
Wow Chris Evans! I’m honored for the time that you spent with us at GJHS yesterday. Thank you for wonderful article, drone pictures and drone video. Wings of Hope and I are so appreciative for your help in spreading the word about Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Sincerely, Julia Aikman, Wings of Hope Family Crisis Services