Augustana and the surrounding community recognize February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. An email from the Office of Student Life (OSL) said nearly 1 in 3 teens in the U.S. experience physical, sexual or emotional abuse from someone they are dating before becoming adults.

Augustana is hosting several events in February to raise awareness. A basketball game was held on Feb. 14, featuring the “It’s On Us” campaign. The players wore custom jerseys to raise awareness on the topic. The game also included a table with information about sexual assault prevention and education. The Black Student Union is holding an event on Feb. 17 that celebrates Black history while creating art with themes of consent and healthy relationships.

Zachary Draves, the program director for the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention Education (OSAPE), organized many of these events alongside Family Resources, a local organization that works to prevent domestic abuse. Draves said that education is essential to abuse prevention, and open discussion on what healthy and abusive relationships look like can promote healthy relationships. 

“What we really try to do is hone in on that message of what healthy relationships look like. Not just dating relationships, but also friendships, colleagues, teammates, etc. It really starts there in terms of building a safer and more compassionate campus,” Draves said.

Augustana encourages education about healthy relationships with events held by OSAPE. Counselors at Augustana host a support group for survivors of sexual assault and provide access to confidential advisors through SafePath Survivor Resources.

Morin Windle, a junior and lead peer educator at OSAPE, helped organize events for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Windle organized Valenpride, an event on Feb. 13 in the You Belong Here lounge. The event promoted healthy relationships through an inclusive lens. Windle sees value in a community and having places to turn too.

“Always have safe spaces where people [can] turn to, always have people you can go talk to, whether that’s confidential or not … Take action when you do hear reports of abuse or assault, don’t just let it sit and become a report, actually take actions that let students know they’re protected,” Windle said.

First-Year Sophia Plemmons attended Valenpride because she believes it’s important to have knowledge about healthy relationships, especially with how relationships are commonly depicted in media.

“Novels and shows about stalking, abuse, jealousy and insecurity are romanticized, when in fact it can hurt yourself and the people around you,” Plemmons said.

Draves said if you are concerned a loved one is experiencing abuse, reach out to them.

“If you find out a friend of yours, is in an abusive relationship, the best way to approach that is to go up to that person and not interrogate them, not investigate, not tell them what to do … just meeting someone where they’re at and approaching it from a place of compassion, of care, of empathy, is the way to go,” Draves said.

Anyone experiencing dating violence can call the Family Resources 24-hour hotline at 309-797-1777 or make an appointment with on-campus counselors. 

Morin Windle previously worked for the Augustana Observer.