According to The Star’s June 8 article, “Domestic abuse reports up 13 percent,” 1,950 domestic violence cases were investigated by city police in the first five months of 2009. While this statistic deserves widespread attention and appropriate action, there is a growing trend of domestic violence that often goes unrecognized — teen dating violence and abuse.

A national survey by Liz Claiborne and the Family Violence Prevention Fund released June 10 reveals that teens are also experiencing alarmingly high levels of abuse in their dating relationships, and the downturn in the economy has only made it worse.

Nationwide, one-third of teens experience some level of abuse in their relationships, including physical, verbal or emotional abuse. In addition, nearly 67 percent who reported witnessing domestic abuse between their parents and experiencing economic problems in the past year have also experienced some form of dating violence and abuse in their own relationships.

In response to this trend, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is investing $1 million in 11 communities nationwide as part of its national program, Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships. Indianapolis’s Clarian Health was chosen as one of the 11 sites to receive such funding. Start Strong Indianapolis was launched last month as part of the largest national initiative ever funded to target 11- to 14-year-olds in promoting safe and healthy relationships.

Clarian Health, Ruth Lilly Health Education Center, the Domestic Violence Network, Washington Township Schools and Sonar Studios are partnering in this four-year initiative to prevent teen dating violence and abuse.

The local partners of Start Strong Indianapolis will rally the entire community, including teens, parents, caregivers, educators and community leaders, to build environments that support healthy relationships and ensure violence and abuse are never tolerated. Beginning this fall, Start Strong Indianapolis will deliver the Safe Dates curriculum to middle-school students in Washington Township.

Through Start Strong Indianapolis, we hope to educate local youth about teen dating violence and abuse so they can recognize the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship and develop the confidence to know they deserve to be in a healthy one.