NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Dozens of teenagers from all around the city gathered for the 12th annual New York City Teen Dating Violence Awareness Walk and marched across the Brooklyn Bridge.
“Nobody actually talks about it. It is always talking about actual domestic violence but not specifically in teenagers which is extremely violent not online but in person,” said 17-year-old Haylee Ricknas.
According to the Healing Center, Sexual assault and teen dating violence affect one in three teenagers.
“These types of unhealthy relationships lay the groundwork for future trauma and even future relationships that are also unhealthy, so we start them young. Educational awareness,” said Noeline Maldonado, Executive Director of The Healing Center.
Every year, the walk takes place during April which is also Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
“So, when we talk about teen dating violence people don’t make that connection between sexual violence as well with boys and girls are also affected by sexual violence,” added Antonia Clemente, founder of the healing center.
Parents, advocates, community members, and elected officials joined in to take a stand against teen dating violence and sexual assault.
“There has been an uptick in violence both in domestic violence and violent relationships and so we gotta figure out ways to address that and also ways for young people in particular to understand that there are different ways to engage,” said Council member Alexa Avilés.
Based on statistics by the healing center, an estimated 40.4% of female victims were first raped before turning 18. An estimated 21.3% among male victims.
The healing center aims to take this dating violence awareness walk to a national level.
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