Casa Myrna Participates in a CDC National Study on Teen Dating Violence Prevention Programs

In addition to Casa Myrna’s ongoing education about teen dating violence, we were among one of the Massachusetts domestic violence agencies chosen to participate in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) national study on teen dating violence prevention programs. Working as a member of the Teen Dating Violence Prevention Team, which includes the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), the Boston Public Health Commission, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, the Asian Task Force on Domestic Violence, and Close to Home, the group has designed an online survey for domestic violence programs and all programs that work with youth to complete in order to compile in depth information about teen dating violence prevention programs in the state and the scope of each existing program.

Once the surveys have been finished, the group will evaluate the quality of the various programs. Finally, the Team will provide policy recommendations to MDPH and the Governor’s Council to Address Sexual and Domestic Violence (GCASDV) about how to ensure that high quality education about teen dating violence is implemented throughout the state. Additionally, the results from all of the states involved in the study (MA, PA. FL, MN, CO, CA) will be utilized by the CDC to create national policy recommendations about teen dating violence education.

“[The study] is significant because the national government is acknowledging teen dating violence and domestic violence as a public health issue and this is the first step to understand what’s already being done to address this issue, to identify the gaps of which areas are not providing education or outreach, and to strategically plan to improve the quality and access to information about healthy relationships for all teens, not only in MA but nationally as well” described Amanda.