Walk over Brooklyn Bridge brings awareness to teen dating violence
With signs raised and spirits high, hundreds of people marched over the Brooklyn Bridge to bring awareness to teen dating violence and advocate for its end. Organized by Brooklyn nonprofit the Healing Center, the seventh annual NYC Teen Dating Violence Awareness Walk-A-Thon worked to bring attention to the threat that teens face through a walk that spanned between Brooklyn Heights’ Cadman Plaza and City Hall on April 14.
According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, between 2012 and 2017, one in four women and one in nine men were victims of sexual assault, stalking or sexual violence. Stephanie Rodriguez, youth coordinator of the Healing Center, said that this year’s walk was focused more on the intersection between dating violence and other issues currently in the national consciousness, such as gun violence and the #MeToo movement.
“It was really great to see many teens proactive and really engaged in the topic,” Rodriguez said, noting that teens were much more active in this year’s walk than in previous ones.