Wholistic Health Collaborative

February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month ❤️

Teen dating violence, also called intimate relationship violence or intimate partner violence among adolescents or adolescent relationship abuse, includes:
Physical, psychological, or sexual abuse
Harassment, Stalking of any person ages 12 to 18 in the context of a past or present romantic or consensual relationship, Control of reproductive or sexual health

In the United States, up to 19% of teens experience sexual or physical dating violence, and about half face stalking or harassment. As many as 65% of victims report being psychologically abused (“Teen Dating Violence,” Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S.
Department of Justice, 2022).

Victims of teen dating violence often keep the abuse/ violence a secret, but they should be encouraged to contact trusted adults like parents, teachers, school counselors, youth advisors, or health care providers. Victims can also seek confidential counsel and advice from professionally trained adults and peers.

If you want to learn more about teen dating violence and how you can be an advocate or notice the signs, contact Kaylen Smith ([email protected])

Kaylen will be hosting a workshop called Communities for Safe Dates. (see slide three and our stories for more details)

January is a month to bring awareness to Human Trafficking!
However, January is not the only time to bring awareness as Human Trafficking has an estimated 27.6 million victims worldwide at any given time. Human traffickers prey on people of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities, exploiting.
We at Wholistic Health Collaborative, want to bring awareness to this as Dr. Shum has previously shared:
There are meaningful ways to make a difference for this often underserved population who is impacted by disenfranchisement and often exposure to traumatic events.
Whether your way of bringing awareness to this is a financial donation to an anti-human trafficking org, your choice in fair trade products, or buying used goods. We hope this January you can take time and reflect on Human Trafficking education, resources, and how you can make a difference!

Here is some local events coming up regarding
Human Trafficking Prevention Month!

Human Trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit. Men, women and children of all ages and from all backgrounds can become victims of this crime, which occurs in every region of the world.

We at Wholistic Health Collaborative, want to bring awareness to this topic and will share more resources and details to help bring awareness throughout the month!

Repost from Elizabeth McSwain and Carmel Connections. Carmel Connections does critical work in our community at large to facilitate healthy eating, and community development like the community garden in Ontario. Great work 👏🏽

At WHC, we are so grateful we get to to use our gifts in cultivating and focusing on the moments this year with our community partners. Also, we want to thank our community partners, clients, and our community at large for letting us be a part of your year! Thank You for letting us serve you, collaborate with you and build community with you. We hope you enjoy your holidays, and even when the holidays can be tough remember that our team is here for you.