TEENS ARE EXPOSED TO VIOLENCE MORE THAN
ANY OTHER SEGMENT OF OUR
POPULATION.
Teen CAP
- Teens are twice as likely as an adult to be a victim of violent crimes.
- Crimes against teens are more likely to be committed by other teens than by adults.
- A teen is more likely to be a victim of multiple offenders such as gangs.
- 85% of the teens who are assaulted are assaulted by someone they know and trust.
- Teens are exposed to physical violence within dating relationships.
Teens respond to TEEN CAP
An 8th grader was being pressured by her boyfriend to be sexual. She was concerned that he would break up with her if she didn't give in. After the CAP program she decided that she would not be sexual with him and concluded that if he broke up with her, he really didn't care about her.
Thank you for making such a difference in my life. Thanks to you I've gained more control of my life. I've also learned to have respect for myself and learned to trust my feelings.
Teachers respond to TEEN CAP
TEEN CAP gave students the opportunity to verbalize their thoughts and concerns about issues that are not usually discussed with them. It provided a gateway for them to talk to concerned adults.
During a TEEN CAP workshop a student expressed suicidal thoughts. Since I was in the workshop I was able to respond to this student. This was something that probably would not have been discovered. TEEN CAP opened the door for this discussion.
TEEN CAP meets the following needs:
- Increase community awareness of assaults against teens.
- Provide teens with knowledge and skills to handle dangerous situations.
- Change the basic, underlying causes of violence.
The TEEN CAP project will provide workshops:
- For staff
- For parents and community members
- For teens
Adult Presentations
Includes Teacher/Staff In-service and Parent Programs. The adult presentations are usually two to three hours long. Adult participants can expect to:
- Understand assault against teens and the roots of that violence
- Understand TEEN CAP’s philosophy
- Learn the common signs of abuse in adolescents
- Learn how to respond effectively to a teen in crisis
- Learn community resources available for a teen in crisis
- Understand teacher and parental rights and responsibilities of reporting abuse
Student Workshops
TEEN CAP provides prevention programming within student classrooms on three sequential days. Throughout the workshop series, common assault situations are presented via short scenarios and guided group discussions. Time is set aside after the workshop for students to talk to facilitators.
Classroom goals
- To acquaint teens with the belief that they have the right to be safe
- To empower them with the knowledge that they can help themselves and others
- To help them understand that they can seek support in difficult situations