The cloistered town of Glen Rock addresses the implausible idea of violence with a week of awareness, particularly towards dating abuse.

Outside of the school’s main office, students and faculty can find a display permeated with surveys and questionnaires, by the company Alternative To Domestic Violence, for students to take and question their own relationships.

“Dating abuse is very insidious in a sense that is starts slowly,” Ms. Danielle Helder, Student Assistance Counselor, said. “It starts off with ‘you’re the most amazing person I ever met,’ ‘you’re special,’ or ‘I love you’ and it gradually increases to the violence, where it then becomes harder for you to escape.”

This week, after the morning announcements, there is a brief informational announcement about dating violence.

“Every week there is something new, but I specifically hope this issue doesn’t go in one ear and out the other because it’s important,” Daniel Brodhead, a guidance counselor,  said.

Nationally, one out of every three teenagers experience dating abuse by the age of 18 and only 33% will report it. Glen Rock’s first violence awareness week plans to inform students about the issue and what signs of dating abuse are in their own relationship.

According to Brodhead, Glen Rock may not experience violence to an extent like Paterson, but it is still present in our school and goes by unnoticed too often.

Dating abuse can be considered dangerous if it is physical, verbal, or sexual.

“Just because we live in such a safe town, that doesn’t mean that violence doesn’t exist whether it’s physically or emotionally.” Hallie Johnson (18’) said.

The surveys provided by the school are to help students evaluate their relationships and help them decide whether or not their relationship is abusive. The first step in escaping the violence is to admit that you are being abused.