Objective: Participants will leave this workshop with enhanced tools and strategies for effectively supporting adolescents who are or may be experiencing adolescent relationship abuse, otherwise known as teen dating violence.

Background: Adolescent relationship abuse is a critical issue affecting far too many young individuals. Each year, more than 1 in 3 adolescents experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse in their dating relationships. These experiences significantly increase their risk of developing harmful internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Youth with intersectional identities—including those identifying as LGBQ, those who are gender diverse, and those from minority racial and ethnic backgrounds—face even higher rates of physical and sexual dating violence.

Workshop Content:

Scope of the Problem: - Detailed exploration of the prevalence and impact of adolescent relationship abuse. - Examination of the physical injuries and emotional harms experienced by both those who experience and those who commit the violent acts.

Clinical Insights: - Using an emergency room clinical encounter as a case study, we will discuss the critical role every clinical staff member can play in supporting adolescents facing relationship violence. - We will introduce the CUES framework (Confidentiality, Universal Education and Empowerment, Support), an evidence-based tool designed to empower healthcare providers to support adolescents who may be experiencing relationship abuse, regardless of if they choose to disclose this or not during our encounter.

Practical Application: - We will train participants to use the CUES framework as a means of empowering adolescents to continue to build healthy relationships, as well as in supporting adolescents in safely navigating unhealthy or ending abusive relationships, as the time immediately following a break-up is the most dangerous time from a physical injury and mortality standpoint.

Community Partnerships: - We will highlight US-based organizations that clinicians can collaborate with to implement transformative programs in their communities with a goal of equipping youth with skills for building healthy relationships, recognizing signs of unhealthy relationships, and accessing professional support safely.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be equipped to make a meaningful impact in the lives of adolescents by promoting healthy relationships and providing crucial support to those experiencing relationship abuse.

1. Define what constitutes physical, sexual and emotional adolescent relationship abuse.
2. Describe the epidemiology of adolescent relationship abuse.
3. Identify groups that are at elevated risk of experiencing adolescent relationship abuse.
4. Describe the harmful physical and psychological sequelae of adolescent relationship abuse.
5. Demonstrate ability to implement the CUES (confidentiality, universal education and empowerment, support) framework in clinical settings to provide youth with resources to recognize, prevent, and address dating violence.