UHopeLine Suggests Tips To Stay Safe On Campus

In a recent survey of college students, more than half of the respondents reported that they wouldn’t know how to help a friend involved in an abusive dating relationship. As Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month ends, it is important for teens to learn ways to protect themselves and their peers, now and in the future.

Last month, Verizon Wireless introduced new tools to help students take a stand against dating and domestic violence through the company’s UHopeLine program. Now, UHopeLine offers steps that students can take to prevent dating violence and engage in healthy relationships:

• Protect Your Privacy – Digital dating abuse involves harassment through constant calling or texting. One way to safeguard against this is to keep your passwords private, learn how to block certain phone numbers, or let your partner know that you feel uncomfortable with his/her actions.
• Raise Awareness on Campus – Raise awareness on campus by joining in a volunteer program, such as UHopeLine. With UHopeLine, you can spread awareness of dating violence and give back to victims of dating violence by donating no-longer-used wireless devices through student-hosted phone drives and permanent collection boxes, which directly support victims.
• Learn How to Protect Yourself or Others– Many colleges offer self-defense programs for students. UHopeLine has partnered with Girls Fight Back and Security on Campus, Inc. for a nationwide tour, visiting high schools and colleges to educate students on how to reduce the risk of dating violence and teach methods of self-protection.
• Know Where to Get Help/Who to Call – There are many people on campus who are trained to help and offer confidential resources – RAs, counselors, campus safety and campus health officials. You can also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for confidential help by dialing 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or simply by dialing #HOPE (#4673) from any Verizon Wireless phone.