For Educators

What role do educators play in ending dating abuse?

As a formal or informal educator, you represent the middle ground between friends, in whom teens and young adults confide, and parents, in whom they often do not. As an educator, you serve the critical role of a "trustworthy adult"--someone teens and young adults can come talk to if they need help. Click here for a list of resources.

In addition, you serve as a role model. By modeling respect, honesty, accountability, responsibility and good communication, you can help to promote healthy relationship interactions. You can also talk to your teens about healthy relationships and dating abuse.

Here are some of ways to tie the topic of dating abuse into a lesson:

• Use a text study that shows a healthy or unhealthy relationship dynamic
• Do a lesson on Jewish ethics like shalom bayit and tikkun olam, and discuss how Judaism emphasizes the importance of mutual respect
• Bring in a speaker to talk about dating abuse and healthy relationships
• Use our dating abuse program When Push Comes to Shove...It's No Longer Love!

Want more ideas? Check out our program bank!

Do you address the topic of dating abuse another way?  Please share it with us so we can add your ideas to our program bank!

 For more information about JWI's programs and projects, email Rella at rkaplowitz@jwi.org