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Branch House spotlights teen dating violence during awareness month, offers resources
Summary
Bridal Fleener of the Branch House Family Justice Center urged parents and teens to watch for signs of dating violence during Inside Bristol, described warning signs and shared local and national resources including a text line for teens.
Inside Bristol host Sherda Nichols spoke with Bridal Fleener of the Branch House Family Justice Center about Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and community resources for teens and parents.
Fleener said February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and stressed how common unhealthy relationships are for young people. “Research shows that 1 in 3 teens will experience some form of dating violence before they become adults,” she said, adding that many teens feel “shame, and embarrassment” and are sometimes “very scared to open up.”
The Branch House representative told listeners that parents should trust their instincts and open conversations with open-ended questions such as “How are you feeling in this relationship?” or “Do you feel safe?” Fleener advised parents to “listen without judgment and respond without judgment” and said the Branch House can connect teens to advocates, counseling and support groups.
Fleener described common warning signs that parents and teens should watch for: possessiveness, extreme jealousy, controlling behaviors, isolating someone from friends and family, verbal or emotional abuse and digital abuse. She warned specifically about “excessively texting,” demands for social media passwords, “secretly going through their significant others phone without their knowledge” and “tracking their location through their mobile devices.”
For immediate confidential help, Fleener directed teen listeners to loveisrespect.org and the text line: text “love is” to 22522 to reach an advocate for chat-based support and safety planning. She said Branch House has on-site advocates who can help teens set healthy boundaries and connect them with local resources.
Fleener emphasized that abusive behavior often escalates over time rather than beginning suddenly: “It kind of, you know, it's like boiling water, it just heats up slowly.”
The conversation on Inside Bristol focused on awareness, early recognition of red flags and where to find support; no policy actions or formal government decisions were discussed.
