[MUSIC] [MUSIC] >> it's macomb dakota high school ninth graders learning about relationships.

today's presentation is called dating secrets.

it is a presentation about teen dating violence.

research shows us right now that as young as twelve.

>> that abusive relationships are starting to develop in occur.

so this early prevention education in schools is vital to.

so please stop that cycle in and the violence before it even really begins.

>> turning point based in mount clemens advocates for survivors of domestic violence, leading discussions in many macomb county schools.

this session, part of the code highs twenty week health class.

>> okay.

quiz.

how many high school students experienced physical abuse from a dating partner each year in the united states.

do you think it's one thousand, fifteen thousand, two hundred, fifty thousand or one point five million.

it is one point five million high school students every year in this country.

>> a recent national survey found almost ten percent of high schoolers reported suffering dating violence.

that might even be more like trolling behavior like that is right.

other research shows that violence leaves lasting health impacts well into adulthood.

>> even though ninth graders, some of them there, you know, emotionally immature, you're just getting out of middle school year, just really starting to experience life outside of your family system.

that doesn't mean that you don't have the capacity to start to learn about really important life issues.

so i hope that people don't take away like ninth grades to younger.

they're not ready for this.

they are ready for it and they see it in tv shows and media.

they hear about it through their friendships and families.

it's an important time to start the education, but it also should be the end of that.

>> abuse can take many forms, but it is always about that power and control over another person and our definition of domestic violence applies to people who are in a romantic relationship.

they are involved in an intimate partnership, right?

so they might be dating or married something like that.

>> turning point has been hosting the sessions for decades.

but in more recent years, the onslaught of social media space where abusers exercise much of their power and control.

>> did you know that could be controlling your partner social media account?

you could have a partner who asks to have the password to your account password to your phone.

it could be that someone wants to look through your instagram, the m's or your text messages to see what's going on in your life.

>> it takes a little bit to settle in.

this is a hard topic.

it's uncomfortable on the side of things that not a lot of teams really want to originally talk about and then we need more there and have engaging conversations.

and part of this program is anonymous questions and we get a lot of anonymous questions about what do i do if i'm in a relationship like this, how do i get help?

i help my friend.

>> a few seniors we talked to say this classes stayed with them since they took it back in ninth grade.

>> i was kind of like, ok, well, i need this class to graduate.

so just to get it done and over with and then when turning point came in, it was like, oh, wow, this is completely different from what i thought was going on in middle school.

i've known people that have >> dated older people and have been in that type of relationship or there at the power dynamic because they're dating somebody that's older than them.

that will take advantage of them because they're young and naive.

a really >> kind of sets their pah throughout high school and life because they will come across relationship with different people and not just like intimate relationships but also relationships with friends.

>> we know that many teens fear being punished by their parents for dating.

someone are for not breaking up with someone when their parents instruct them to often it teams might feel like their parents are trying to control them.

and if someone is already in a controlling relationship, adding that control from a parent can be really difficult and make a teen feel powerless.

but we also know that unless you tell your parents, they probably won't know.

and once it while eighty-two percent of parents felt like they could identify all the signs if their child was in a violent relationship, most parents could not correctly identify those signs.

>> a lesson here confronting teen violence means tough conversations.

young love can blind keys to what's really going on.

even like the littlest things like.

>> seem like your partner is constantly asking you where you are with your friends.

those are even signs of maybe an abusive relationship or things that might be a little wrong in your relationship.

and they really like it opened my eyes up a lot.

>> there are many people still out there who don't really think they're in the toxic relationship were being domestically abused because they think that.

>> that's all they have.

i think that it's important that we have this ninth grade.

one thing that i wish we could do is have it introduced again at a later stage of high school.

and i know it's hard in public school there.

so many requirements for students to graduate, have your papers and to have it be a one and done in my opinion is kind of disappointing.

but i'd love to have some kind of a senior.

some an hour before students are launched into adulthood that we had additional education on suicide prevention, violence, prevention and also drug prevention information to help watch them out into the world, ok?