The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott released results from the first-ever statewide survey on dating violence among teens and young adults. Findings show that three out of four 16 to 24-year-old Texans have personally experienced dating violence or know someone who has. To tackle this problem and educate young Texans about the characteristics of healthy relationships, TCFV and the Texas Attorney General ’s Office have launched a public awareness project today called “Red Flags.”

“Red Flags” campaign to highlight early warning signs, prevent further incidence
The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today released results from the first-ever statewide survey on dating violence among teens and young adults. Findings show that three out of four 16- to 24-year-old Texans have personally experienced dating violence or know someone who has.

The survey polled more than 900 young Texans on their attitudes toward and experiences with dating violence behaviors, ranging from controlling actions to physical harm. Fifty percent reported having personally experienced dating violence (whether as the target or abuser). Two out of five teens and young adults said they’ve experienced verbal abuse, one out of four reported physical violence, and one out of five reported sexual violence.

To tackle this problem and educate young Texans about the characteristics of healthy relationships, TCFV also launched a public awareness project today called “Red Flags.” The project is funded by the Office of the Texas Attorney General and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Through online and community outreach, Red Flags will deliver the messages of “Control Isn’t Love” and “Red Flags: Know When to Raise Them” to youth in five target cities – Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.

The project will reach out to both males and females. According to survey results, three out of five young Texas females and two out of five young males have personally experienced dating violence (again, whether as the target or abuser).

“Dating violence is a pervasive problem that affects young Texans of all ethnic and educational backgrounds. It is imperative that we prevent further teens and young adults from having these experiences while offering help and solutions to those who are currently in unhealthy or dangerous situations,” said Texas Attorney General Gregg Abbott.

Research found that young Texans are much more likely to be “scared by” or “worried” about more tangible behaviors like explosive temper or physical harm. They were more likely to rate things like controlling a person’s actions or exhibiting jealousy as making them “nervous” or “uncomfortable.” Red Flags will concentrate most on teaching youth to listen to their instincts and deal with the early warning signs of dating violence – the “red flags” that indicate trouble – before they escalate into more severe abuse.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline, operated by TCFV in its Austin office, receives the largest percentage of its calls from 25- to 34-year-olds who are experiencing domestic violence. However, advocates are trained to counsel victims on dating violence and create safety plans on how to leave the relationship, if need be.

“With Red Flags, we hope to reach young Texans at a critical period in their dating lives, helping them learn to distinguish healthy behaviors from more dangerous ones so they, hopefully, never need to call us,” said Sheryl Cates, Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Council on Family Violence and the National Domestic Violence Hotline. “This is the time to learn how to make the best choices in relationships because family and financial commitments can later make it harder for people to break free from violent relationships.”

In addition to reaching out to current and potential victims of abuse, the Red Flags project is designed to give young Texans guidance in having more constructive dialogue with friends who may be experiencing dating violence. Research shows three out of four teens and young adults who’ve personally experienced dating violence report having told someone what happened. Friends were most commonly turned to first, followed by parents or guardians. When asked what they’d do if a peer told them about a dating violence problem, 42 percent said they’d advise them to break up with their partner. However, dating partners can often turn more violent when a relationship ends.

The Red Flags Web site, www.knowtheredflags.com, is full of relationship quizzes, warning signs, advice and scenarios designed to guide teens and young adults in discussing dating violence issues and making safe plans for dealing with or leaving unhealthy relationships. The site also aims to educate young Texans about healthy behaviors like being honest with each other, trusting each other when apart, and feeling safe to express feelings – which survey respondents rated as their top three most valued characteristics in a relationship. TCFV will direct traffic to the site through outreach on MySpace and other online channels, at events, and through youth outreach with its community partners in the project’s target cities.

“The survey results, along with qualitative data gathered from youth statewide, has shown us that young Texans want very serious, mature and detailed information about dating violence so they can get help and lend help. They’ve also indicated that online and peer-to-peer methods of receiving information are effective given the complex subject matter,” said Cates. “Red Flags is designed uniquely for Texas youth, and we’re excited about this step in ultimately making our state a kinder and safer place.”

Data for the statewide survey was conducted on behalf of TCFV by GCI Read-Poland and Equation Research. All respondents were unmarried and between the ages of 16 and 24. Respondents were randomly drawn to reflect a sample representative of the Texas population. The “Red Flags” brand and project materials were created by Austin communication firms GCI Read-Poland, White Hat Creative and Action Figure.

About Texas Council on Family Violence
As the state coalition against domestic violence, the Texas Council on Family Violence has been the voice of the movement against domestic violence in Texas and a national leader in the work to end domestic violence since 1978. TCFV provides public education, training and technical assistance, advocacy and public policy advocacy on the issue of domestic violence in Texas. As a statewide coalition, TCFV members include domestic violence service providers, criminal justice personnel and allied professionals. Additionally, TCFV operates the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which is the only toll-free, 24-hour hotline providing crisis intervention and connecting victims of domestic violence to more than 5,000 domestic violence service providers across the nation. TCFV is a nonprofit organization funded by both private and public sources.

# # #

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jitin Hingorani (jhingorani [at] tcfv.org)
Erica Hess (ehess [at] gcigroup.com)