Teenage Dating Violence Talked About at Natick High

At the invitation of the Natick High School PTSO, Voices of Violence Executive Director Mary Gianakis spoke in the auditorium last night about the many different signs of abusive relationships in teenagers.

Voices of Violence is an organization in Framingham that provides information, counseling and support to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Giving examples of unhealthy relationships that probably sound all-too-common to many people, Gianakis used statistics and pointed out certain warning signs that often mean that a relationship is unhealthy.

She cautioned parents to be aware of any of these warning signs, including:

• Your child has begun to limit their time with other friends or family members.
• Your child is afraid to miss a call or text.
• Your child has started to lose interest in activities outside relationships.

Some statistics that Gianakis pointed out as being important because many people don't realize that abusive relations can start in the teenage years:

• 89 percent of teenagers between the ages of 13-18 have dated.
• But just 25 percent of teenagers have talked with their parents about dating violence.
• 10 percent of teens report physical abuse in the past 12 months.

Gianakis strongly recommended three websites for more information on domestic violence:

• http://www.loveisrespect.org/
• http://loveisnotabuse.com
• http://www.thatsnotcool.com/

In addition, if you have been the victim of domestic violence or sexual assault you can contact the Voices Against Violence toll free hotline at 800-593-1125.

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The second part of the evening was a presentation by Kristin Tyman, who is the Executive Director of MEDA (Multi-service Eating Disorder Association).

Tyman spoke from the heart, telling of her older sister's battle with Anorexia Nervosa, as well as her own. While both she and her sister are now doing well, the experience has given her a unique perspective into the work that she does.

Tyman spoke of the four eating disorders:

• Anorexia Nervosa
• Bulimia Nervosa
• Binge-Eating Disorder (BED- a new addition to the DSM, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- essentially the book that provides the definition for any mental health disorder)
• Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS- an eating disorder that doesn't quite meet the definition of the previous three, but is still an eating disorder)

Tyman used visual aids such as comics and magazine ads to show the way people get their body image ideas, and cited statistics with the average size male and female, as well as the average size of their model counterparts. It made for some interesting thought-provoking 'oohs' and 'aahs' in the crowd.

For more information on MEDA, visit their website.