To highlight Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM), the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women (CSVANW) is hosting a TDVAM Poetry Challenge on Instagram and Facebook for youth. TDVAM is a national effort to raise awareness and prevent teens from violence. And to raise our community’s knowledge on teen dating violence and its effects on Native youth in the state of New Mexico.

Why is it important to spread awareness on teen dating violence?

• Native youth experience violent crime rates up to 10 times the national average.
• 1 in 3 Native American girls will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes and one in three Native youth will face dating violence (learn more).
• 1 in 3 teens in the U.S. will experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse by someone they are in a relationship with before they become adults (learn more).
• And nearly half (43%) of college women report experiencing violent and abusive dating behaviors (learn more).

To raise awareness about the effects of dating violence on young folks, we hope our youth will participate in the TDVAM poetry challenge as a part of the #1Thing campaign. CSVANW is expanding on loveisrespect.org’s national teen dating violence awareness month theme of #1Thing. The 2020 TDVAM campaign theme is “#1Thing,” this campaign is focused on meeting teens where they are at. By learning one thing about teen dating violence and sharing that with a friend, every teen can make a difference.The Poetry Challenge:

Calling all Native youth who are poets, writers, who are just starting, who are thinking of starting, who is interested in doing something different, or who is discovering their passion, CSVANW is hosting a poetry challenge for you.

8 writing prompts will be posted and shared throughout the month of February. Using the writing prompts, write a short poem or a Haiku (hokku) [a Haiku (hokku) is a Japanese verse form most often composed, in English versions, of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables. A haiku often features an image, or a pair of images, meant to depict the essence of a specific moment in time], and post your poem to your Instagram or Facebook account using #csvanwYouth #1Thing and be sure to tag the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women (@csvanw). Follow CSVANW for more information and reposts of your poem on Instagram and Facebook.

TDVAM Poetry Challenge Guidelines:

• Youth must post a short poem or a Haiku (hokku) and use the #csvanwYouth, #1Thing hashtags and tag CSVANW.
• Open to Native youth between 13 – 22 years old.
• Prizes will be awarded. More information coming soon.
• NOTE: please note a trigger warning (TW) in your poem, if the content in your poem contains information and discussions of domestic violence, death and dying, mental health crisis, and sexual abuse, which some readers may find triggering.

Prompts for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month Online Poetry Challenge

Tuesday, February 4^th: What is #1Thing that you can educate your friends about Teen Dating Violence?

Thursday, February 6^th: #1Thing I could do to support a friend’s healing is…

Tuesday, February 11^th: What is #1Thing that is a healthy relationship behavior?

Thursday, February 13^th: What is #1Thing you can do to set healthy boundaries in a relationship?

Tuesday, February 18^th: What’s one thing you can do to make sure you have your partner’s consent?

Thursday, February 20^th: #1Thing my family, friends, relatives could do to support my healing…

Tuesday, February 25^th: Social change starts with #1Thing.

Thursday, February 27^th: There is value and power in your #1Thing. Speak it loud and proud!