Struggles with relationship issues have been on everyone’s mind lately with the unfortunate Tiger Woods situation.  However, many teens experience tension in their dating/partner relationships that can end with dating abuse or violence.  STARS (Students Taking A Right Stand) Nashville has several ways to help students make better choices.

Dating abuse is used to manipulate, gain control or power over someone making them feel bad about themselves and ultimately afraid of their boyfriend or girlfriend.  In a recent long-term study of dating abuse by National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health just under 10% of students reported experiencing physical violence from their dating partner and 29% had experienced psychological abuse.  The first incidence of dating violence often occurred by age 15 (Journal of Family Issues 4, no 3).

The pressures of the recent holiday season combined with our current economic problems also create more stress on relationships as well.  STARS specialists help teens recognize the difference between caring, supportive relationships and controlling, manipulative or abusive dating relationships through our SAFE DATES program, a nationally recognized, research-based dating and relationship program.

One way STARS helps teens look at this issue is through classroom presentations and educational sessions. For those young people with more serious questions, concerns or issues about dating violence STARS specialists offer small group and individual counseling sessions as well as follow up and support.  Finally, if the issues facing the student are severe, referrals will be made to community organizations who can provide additional levels of support and care.

It is important for adults to be trained on helping students with safe dating issues.  Through TEEN PEACE, STARS is in partnership with 70 schools throughout the Middle Tennessee area working to prevent dating abuse.  In addition, on January 13, 2010, 55 Tennessee educators and local community agency personnel from across the state participated in a SAFE DATES training designed to help students in middle and high schools address relational violence.  Our goal is to provide young people with knowledge and practical skills to develop healthy and safe relationships.  For more information, contact STARS at 615-279-0058 or email STARS at stars@starsnashville.org. 

Nashvillians of the Year: Because of Hal Cato and Rodger Dinwiddie – and the remarkable Youth Center they founded – Nashville’s lost and forgotten teens will sleep safer

Substance abuse, violence, harassment, divorce, grief, cyber-bullying as well as student leadership are some of the issues we at STARS (Students Taking A Right Stand) Nashville have been working on for the past 25 years to make a difference in the lives of youth throughout Middle Tennessee.   One of our 2010 goals is to invite the community on the road with us, through this blog, as we talk about the challenges our youth are facing on a day-to-day basis and share the solutions.

We feel very fortunate that Cool People Care (Sam Davidson and Stephen Moseley) helped us re-launch our website with this area for a blog.  In addition, you can also become a Facebook fan of STARS (Students Taking A Right Stand) Nashville.  And stay tuned…we will soon be tweeting!

STARS specialists and Kids On The Block staff work in elementary through high schools across the mid Tennessee area on the front lines working with students, teachers, administrators, and caring adults.  It is a mutual goal to help kids overcome these huge problems, to stay in school and to be successful.

It’s National NO NAME CALLING week (Jan. 20-24) and it is the perfect time for us to be launching this blog. We’ll talk soon about our efforts to combat this mental abuse problem.

You’re going to notice the different voices of our staff as we use this blog to share with the world the amazing success stories and the challenges in hopes of inspiring you to make a difference in the lives of the youth in your community.  President Franklin D. Roosevelt said it nicely, “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”