Relationship abuse is a complex issue that has long-lasting impacts on the individuals within a relationship and those close to them. Early exposure to unhealthy relationships can make it difficult for people to recognize patterns of abuse since they have learned to perceive violence as an unavoidable part of life. Additionally, the lack of conversations surrounding abusive behaviors contributes to the perpetuation of relationship abuse. Vista Community Clinic’s school-based relationship abuse prevention program, Reliable Connection, aims to break patterns of abuse. By engaging students and adults in clubs, activities, and events, the program addresses relationship abuse from a trauma-informed and culturally responsive lens to give participants the skills they need to have tough conversations about relationships. Understanding that a large part of the community is monolingual Spanish speakers, Reliable Connection is a Spanish-English bilingual program, which encourages solidarity and inclusivity for the members of the program. In this session, participants will develop a better understanding of the risk and protective factors associated with abuse and violence in relationships. Participants will discuss the importance of school-based primary prevention to shift the community climate concerning abusive patterns. Youth, parents, and educators must be included in these prevention efforts in order to see change at the societal level. Participants will leave this session with an understanding of the impact of implementing a school-based approach to relationship abuse prevention.

Learning Objective:
1. Including parent engagement in youth-centered prevention efforts
2. Introducing conversations about relationship abuse both inside and outside of schools
3. Partnering with schools to implement school-based programs to prevent relationship abuse and understanding school climate