Now is the time for teens and parents of teens to evaluate their relationships or their children’s relationships. Is there abuse? Nearly half of college students say they probably wouldn’t recognize abuse. Examine social media habits. Does your partner “stalk” your social media? Does your partner get upset if you turn off your geo-location on snapchat? These could be red-flags and if this is the case, evaluate the situation. Call the helpline and find out what you can do if you feel like your relationship or your child’s relationship isn’t healthy.

Sexual abuse online is a growing issue in society. People use social media inappropriately by posting, sharing, and saving sexually explicit content. This can not only get a person in trouble with their school or employer, but also law enforcement. Knowing the law is one step towards prevention, because what we do now, matters later.*
Everyone in today’s digital era owns a smartphone or has a social media account- Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. Posting and sharing sexually explicit content have become a problematic issue for society. Some people have become desensitized to the violence witnessed online. This tolerance of online sexual violence contributes to an increase in school drop-out rates, a decrease in academic performance, and many mental health issues. People often do not realize until it’s too late, that their actions today can have very serious consequences tomorrow. Hearts of Hope unveiled the #NowMattersL8R campaign in 2016 to address policy and compliance issues with Title IX, coordinate better response to online violence, increase awareness of the sexual abuse laws, and teach best practices for implementing online safety.*
Find out more at https://www.theheartsofhope.org/nowmatterslater *
If you are a victim of teen dating violence, contact your local crisis center or call our helpline: 888.995.7273.
The below images are free to download and post on social media pages or print out as posters and hang in classrooms, dorm facilities, offices, etc. Free to download below: