Healthy Relationships

Help Our Children And Teens Thrive

By Nancy Kelly

As the summer draws to a close and families prepare for the new school year, Empowerhouse , a non-profit domestic violence organization, is gearing up to bring our Healthy Relationships Classroom Presentations to area students. In our community, 10,000 children witness family violence each year 1 in 3 adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence. Violent relationships in adolescence can put the victims at higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, and further domestic violence.

At Empowerhouse, we know that one of the best ways to end the cycle of domestic violence and keep children and teens safe is to nurture healthy relationships through prevention education

For over 20 years, Empowerhouse has partnered with local schools to deliver our free ageappropriate, facilitated program to provide students with the critical tools to realize healthy relationships. In fiscal year 2022, our Youth Team delivered Healthy Relationships Classroom Presentations to over 3,400 area elementary, middle, and high school students These interactive presentations covered topics like bullying, boundaries, equality and respect, and better communication.

From January to April 2023 alone, we brought 148 presentations to children and teens in Fredericksburg City and Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford Counties. We focus on what healthy relationships look like versus unhealthy relationships. The presentations include "hands on" activities, Q&A with our trained facilitators and post-presentation questionnaires.

Our presentations educate students about self-eesteem, better communication, and healthy boundaries, and provide crucial resources for students involved in abusive dating relationships or experiencing domestic violence at home These include leave-behind materials with Empowerhouse's 24-hour, confidential hotline number on them.

We continue to broaden our reach by offering vital resources to younger audiences. A 2021 Youth in Philanthropy grant from The Community Foundation enabled us to create a new dual-purpose booklet about healthy friendships that is both an engaging activity booklet for children 10 and under and a guide for parents, teachers, and their adult advocates. This educational piece utilizes Empowerhouse's Healthy Friendships foundational guidelines and activities and serves as an in-class or takeaway material that can be used by multiple facilitators and be enjoyed by children while they puzzle the activities and learn at the same time.

By laying the groundwork early, we are giving children important tools they will hone through facilitated activities with our Youth Team to help and support them as they develop friendships and relationships.

The tremendous feedback we've received from students, teachers, and parents illustrate the positive impact our presentations make. A teacher shared that thanks to our program, a student realized that she was in a verbally, and mentally abusive relationship and was able to leave that relationship. In response to our postpresentation questionnaire, a high school student noted that she learned "not to let someone change who I am…" A male student said that he now has someone to talk to if he needs additional support.

We've also found that our classroom presentations often raise awareness about Empowerhouse's other domestic violence resources and services. Mothers and teachers of children who've been through our programs have reached out to us because they, or someone they know, are experiencing domestic violence. Our classroom presentations can be a life- saving link to community members who are in immediate need of crisis intervention and assistance

Nancy B. Kelly is the Development Director for Empowerhouse.

If your school is interested in scheduling a Healthy Relationships Classroom Presentation, please e-mmail mendyp@empowerhouseva org for more information

If you, or someone you know is experiencing teen dating violence or domestic violence, please call our free, confidential 24-hhour Hotline at (540) 373-99373

In these days of fast paced travel, it is possible to take a time saving flight over the vast landscapes of our country. However, by doing so one misses so much of the essence of the beauty and culture below.

There is another, slower, more interesting way - the once fashionable road trip . In earlier times, families traveled across the country in station wagons piled with suitcases, coolers, kids, and dogs for the All- American adventure stopping at national parks like Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Great Smoky Mountains and so many others.

There were no interstate highways. Two-lane roads with names like Route 66 "The Mother Road", or The Lincoln Highway stretched across the plains, the desert, and numerous mountain ranges. Or ran beside oceans where the kids could happily watch the waves and hear the shorebirds through the open windows of the unairconditioned car.

The ubiquitous fast-food giants today were nonexistent. Coleman coolers were packed with carefully prepared homemade sandwiches, lemonade, and cookies. The family chose a grassy site beside the road, ideally under the shade of a large tree, spread blankets on the ground and enjoyed a picnic as a respite from time in the car.

Most either tent camped or pulled a travel trailer. The ones who could