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Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a proclamation recognizing February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month in New York state Tuesday afternoon. She named Feb. 11 Teen Dating Violence Awareness Day and directed all state landmarks to be illuminated orange in its honor.

The New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence also launched an online tool helping teens recognize healthy and unhealthy relationship dynamics, a Tuesday release states.

Kelli Owens, OPDV’s executive director, said in the release teenagers can be vulnerable to online threats or dangers from intimate partners when using the internet.

The proclamation comes after recent studies showed the average teenager spends over eight hours a day connected to screens. About five of those hours are spent using social media, which can hurt teens’ mental health and ability to foster healthy relationships, according to the release.

Elevated screen time can be associated with higher anxiety, depression symptoms and lower psychological well-being, according to U.S. News and World Report.

The awareness month and the launch of OPVD’s new online tool are the latest efforts by the state to help protect youth online. They come nearly eight months after Hochul signed the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation for Kids Act and the New York Child Data Privacy Act in June 2024.

Syracuse University lights the JMA Wireless Dome in blue each April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

SU students who are experiencing sexual or relationship violence can contact the university’s confidential support hotline at (315) 443-8000. Students can speak with SU’s Sexual and Relationship Violence Response team or a clinician in the Barnes Center at The Arch Counseling.

Published on February 13, 2025 at 1:43 am

Contact Henry: hdaley@syr.edu