Like any other kind of abuse, most parents tend to think teen dating abuse could never happen to their child.

But with one in three young adults in a physically or emotionally abusive relationship, that's not the reality.

Columbia High School’s Teen Dating Abuse Club and the National Council of Jewish Women's Center for Women are working together to educate local parents and students on this trend — including inviting them for a night of education about abuse and its warning signs on May 25 at Columbia High.

The title — "Dating Abuse: It Couldn’t Happen to MY Child…." — was designed to capture parents attention and bring home the point that this topic was pertinent to all households.

The highlight of the evening was a mother-daughter duo, Denise and Danielle DeZao, who recounted their own story of abuse. Each detailed her own parallel experiences - from Denise’s observations of the abuse to her daughter Danielle’s efforts to hide the horrors of her relationship – and their ultimate banding together to resolve the situation.  

Danielle has been featured on a What Would You Do segment featuring teen abuse and the subject of several articles on the topic. She started H<3rt1 (“heart-one”), an organization devoted to removing the "one" from the "one in every three" young adults involved in an emotionally and/or physically abusive relationship and to educate people on the dangers and prevalence of abuse by empowering them to take a stand and to create change. 

The CHS Teen Dating Abuse Club (TDAC) is comprised of students who have been trained to lead an awareness program for the Middle schools. The NCJW Center for Women has been presenting a comprehensive Teen Dating Abuse program for CHS students for the past 18 years. It is a sponsor of TDAC.