Resources for Healthy
Teen Relationships

You deserve to feel safe, healthy,
and respected in your relationships.

One in three teens experience dating violence. Those numbers are even higher for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC youth. If you think you might be experiencing intimate partner violence, you’re not alone.

Relationship abuse might look like:

• Belittling you or putting you down
• Isolating you from your friends, family, or hobbies
• Physical violence like hitting, punching, kicking, grabbing, and strangling
• Pressuring or forcing you into any unwanted sexual touching
• Destroying or threatening to destroy your personal belongings
• Controlling what you do, how you dress, who you see, or how you spend your money
• Feeling nervous or “walking on eggshells” over what your partner might do
• Threatening to hurt themselves or you if you leave them

Get Help

Wondering about your own relationship?

You can take the healthy relationship quiz from Love is Respect.

Are you worried about your relationship?

Asking for help isn’t a weakness and if you’ve ever felt unsafe in your relationship, Project DVORA can help.

Worried about a friend?

If you know someone who you think might be in an abusive relationship, the best thing you can do is offer them unconditional support. You can share resources like this website and talk to trusted adults like parents, teachers, Rabbis, or other clergy members.

What is “intimate partner violence”?

Intimate partner violence is a pattern of hurtful and controlling behaviors between two people in a romantic relationship. Abuse can be physical (like hitting) or emotional (like putting somebody down).

Intimate partner violence is not caused by anger, mental health problems, alcohol or other drugs, or other common excuses. It is caused by one person’s belief that they have the right to control the other.

What is Project DVORA?

Project DVORA helps people who have experienced or are experiencing intimate partner violence. We focus on serving the Jewish community and the broader community as our capacity allows. We support youth ages 13 and older and our services include time-limited resource referrals and safety planning. If you think you might be experiencing abuse from a parent or guardian, please visit Friends of Youth or YouthCare for resources.

If you’re interested in bringing a workshop about healthy relationships to your Jewish community organization, school, or synagogue, please email us at dvoraprevention@jfsseattle.org.

Click to enlarge.
Source: New Beginnings

Additional Resources

Resource & Hotlines

Shalom Task Force: A confidential hotline specifically for Jewish survivors. You can call or text their confidential line at 888-883-2323
King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC): 24-hour resource line: 1-888-998-6423.
Loveisrespect.org: Learn about healthy/unhealthy relationships or contact a peer advocate by texting “LOVEIS” to 22522 or calling 1-866-331-9474.
Teen Link Helpline: Chat online or text daily at 1-866-TEENLINK (833-6546) with a youth crisis specialist about bullying, drug and alcohol concerns, relationships, stress, depression or any other issues you’re facing. No issue is too big or too small! Calls and chats are confidential.

Local In-person Services

The Northwest Network: A Seattle-based organization that specifically serves queer & trans survivors of intimate partner violence.
Youth Eastside Services (YES): Provides mental health and substance use support to youth up to age 22 and their families in East King County. They also provide a weekly drop-in social support group for youth, established as a welcoming and affirming space for people exploring or seeking support for their identities.
Roots: Shelter, health clinics, and case management for youth ages 12-24.

Emergency Shelter

Please note that we do not offer any housing or residential services.
Roots: Shelter, health clinics, and case management for youth ages 12-24.
Friends of Youth:Emergency shelter for youth ages 7-17.
YouthCare: Emergency shelter for youth ages 12-17.

Safety/Legal Resources

Know Your IX: Learn about your legal rights to safe education, free from gender-based harms.
LifeWire Teen Safety Planning:Create a safety plan for your dating experience.