Preventing abusive teen relationships

SHAWANO - It’s a common worry for parents: Your teenage son or daughter has started to date.

But beyond curfews and kissing, there’s something else to be concerned about: abusive relationships.

Statistics from the Center for Disease Control show about a third of teens will be in an abusive relationship in high school.

Some students at Shawano High School say they're not going to stand for that.

While it may look like fun and games, the subject of a "Jeopardy!"-style game in Shawano High School's cafeteria couldn't be more serious.

"What piece of the circle deals with the person not being able to see their friends or not be involved in any activities?" asked one student.

A recent survey of students at the school showed one in three had been in an abusive relationship. Seventeen percent of students said that abuse was physical.

"It’s verbal and then it will get to physical. It starts with isolation, where the guy and the girl wants to be with that person 24/7," said junior Natalie Hohn.

"It’s not just the girls. A lot of times it's the guys getting hurt. I had a friend who got into these situations. I didn’t' see him outside of school for like two weeks straight. She wouldn't let anybody around him,” said Christian Kane, a junior.

To let students know warning signs of abuse, the group Fighting Against Abusive Relationships, or FAAR, planned activities throughout February.

"Not many students know what they are, and they're actually really common in high school. So we can raise awareness, and hopefully stop it,” said Caitlin Raetner, the president of FAAR at Shawano High School.

Students and counselors say the relationships formed in school set the tone for relationships later in life. So preventing domestic violence with teens can help prevent domestic violence in the community.

"The sooner they're able to see what a healthy relationship looks like, the sooner they're going to be able to acknowledge what's happening with their own,” said Bryan Wright, a counselor at Safe Haven Domestic Abuse Shelter and the sponsor of the student organization.

"Being in this club, you start to see all that,” said Kane.

Helping these students take a stand against teen violence, to hopefully prevent the bond between high school sweethearts from turning sour.

Similar programs to prevent teen violence are going on in Green Bay and Appleton high schools this month.