Breana’s story: the dangers of teen dating violence

Thank you to Nicole for being my guest blogger today! 

Would you like to share your story? Contact me! We all need to make our voices heard.

My name is Nicole Rouhselang, and my step daughter Breana was killed in December by a classmate who got her pregnant. I am now a advocate for domestic violence/ teen domestic violence because of what happened to her.

Teen domestic violence is a hidden crime no one talks about. With our teens, there are so many ways a heathy normal dating relationship can turn into abuse. It can begin with something as simple as a demand that they post their relationship status on social media, or stop doing what they would normally do. 

Parents and friends: look for signs your teen is dressing differently, acting differently, not wanting to spend time with family or friends, or grades failing. The person that is hurting your teen could be someone who is known to be the quiet or weird kid. Even you are not sure it’s something serious, if you see anything unusual call an organization that deals with domestic violence.  If you don’t know of one, call your local police station. 

But whatever you do, speak out! Don’t let Breana’s story become yours!

For great information on teen dating violence, and what you can do about it, visit

https://www.teendvmonth.org/

Breana with her dad, Dave

Breana and Nicole 

Nicole and Breana