As the school year approaches, parents and educators in New York are gearing up to support their children through another exciting, and sometimes, challenging transition. Each back-to-school season brings its own set of hurdles, but with the right tools and resources, parents and teachers can equip children and young people with the skills and confidence they need to navigate any situation.
To help with these preparations, the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) has curated a list of upcoming activities and recommended resources from their Because We're Dads Campaign. These resources, available in our Primary Prevention Toolkit, provide valuable support for parents and teachers, enabling them to engage with children, teens, and young adults in discussions about healthy relationships during various life transitions.
Join NYSCADV on this annual journey as we explore tools and knowledge to engage parents, educators, and caregivers alike, championing gender equality, consent, and nonviolence in our schools and communities.
With the right resources and a united effort, we can help create safe, respectful, and inclusive environments for our children—both at school and at home—making the back-to-school season a time of growth and positive change.
Upcoming Events
Back to School Prevention Webinar Series
In preparations for the back-to-school season, NYSCADV (New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence) is pleased to present a webinar series focusing on parent and school-based engagement strategies. Sessions within the training series will offer valuable support for advocates, parents and teachers enabling them to engage with children, teens, and young adults in discussions about healthy relationships during various stages of development and life transitions.
Sessions Include:
August 6, from 1-2 PM - Prevention Listening Session
Facilitator: Lorien Castelle, Director of Prevention, NYSCADV
NYSCADV’s 10th Annual Primary Prevention Summit will be held on November 18-19 in Schenectady, NY. In preparation, we want to hear from you to assist us in determining the most fitting programming that meets your priority areas of focus.
Primary prevention efforts and support for developing healthy relationship behaviors through an intersectional lens that promotes health and racial equity are crucial to stopping violence before it starts. Join us at our Listening Session to share your insights and help shape the agenda for the summit. Your feedback will be invaluable as we plan workshops and sessions focused on promising practices from experts in the field.
Together, we can create safer communities and foster lasting change. Don’t miss this opportunity to make your voice heard and contribute to our mission and focus for our annual prevention summit and beyond.
August 20, from 1-2:30 PM - Healthy Relationships in the Digital Age
Presenter: Adam Dodge, Founder, End Tab
In so many ways, the things we value in a healthy relationship (trust, respect and safety) tend to change online. New ways of connecting, like dating apps and sexting, bring with them a new set of challenges and risks. In this session, we breakdown how our relationships to consent, safety, boundaries and empathy can become distorted in online spaces - and adjustments we can make to protect ourselves from unhealthy behaviors.
August 22, from 1-2:30 PM - Economic Empowerment Strategies for Youth and Teens
Presenter: Esmeralda Peña, Economic Justice Project Manager, NYSCADV
The connection between economic insecurity and intimate partner violence is well established just as economic security is associated with supporting safer relationships where equity between partners is experienced. An individual's economic stability has the potential to prevent intimate partner violence from occurring in the first place— referred to as primary prevention. Primary prevention strategies are designed to reduce health and safety issues, like intimate partner violence, at a population level.
This session will explore tools for helping advocates introduce children and young adults to economic empowerment and cultivate financial literacy. This includes imparting age-appropriate financial literacy skills such as managing money effectively and making informed financial decisions. These skills are essential for fostering independence and confidence in financial matters, enabling them to build a secure financial future, which is a robust protective factor against domestic and sexual violence at the hands of a partner.
Presentation Goals:
- Understanding and teaching children and young adults about economic empowerment and financial literacy.
- Introducing practical tools for budgeting, saving, responsible spending, and entrepreneurial thinking.
- Providing information on resources and legal protections related to financial empowerment and control.
This presentation is designed for advocates working with children, parents, teenagers, and young adults and provides them with tools to educate, empower and foster economic security and independence.
August 27, from 1-2:30 PM - Online Bystander Intervention
Presenter: Adam Dodge, Founder, End Tab
Bystander intervention has been proven to be one of the most effective strategies for preventing violence and encouraging accountability in our communities. However, the traditional approach doesn't always translate well to tech-facilitated violence. Here, we will focus on equipping participants with practical and effective bystander intervention strategies tailored to online environments.
Resources
Because We're Dads: Back to School Toolkit Webinar (Recording)
Join NYSCADV's webinar where prevention educators explore different approaches for engaging parents. Emphasizing the role of dads and male-identified caregivers, this webinar introduces valuable resources like the updated Back to School Toolkit and Conversation Starters. These resources aim to guide parents in discussing healthy relationships with their children.
Because We're Dads: Back to School Toolkit
The Back to School Toolkit from Because We're Dads equips fathers with the confidence, capacity, and comfort needed to engage in critical conversations with their children. This toolkit focuses on supporting children through transitions while promoting gender equality. It also addresses current events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide uprising against systemic racism, police brutality, and racial inequity, acknowledging how these dynamics impact youth in and out of school.
Parent Engagement Conversation Starters in Prevention Education
These Conversation Starters serve as useful outreach and educational tools for prevention educators in various formats, including website content, social media posts, PowerPoint presentations, and physical handouts. Designed as prompts, they encourage parents and caregivers to initiate open conversations about healthy and unhealthy aspects of dating. The Conversation Starters explore concepts of respectful flirting, consent, and equitable relationships while addressing topics like dating abuse, coercion, and cyberstalking.
Conversation Starters for Kids - Global Boyhood Initiative
These Conversation Starters aim to open up conversations between kids and parents. Informed by research, they are specifically designed to help kids, especially boys, learn to share emotions healthily, accept and connect with others, stand up and speak out against bullying, and break free from stereotypes. Choose from cards designed for ages 4-6, 7-9, and 10-13.
The State of America's Boys: An Urgent Case for a More Connected Boyhood
This important report provides an overview of the state of boys in the United States, examining the challenges they face and the promise of their futures. The report discusses boyhood in an ecological context, looking at the relationships, communities, and larger social norms that shape their lives. Each section concludes with key recommendations to support boys, alongside efforts to support girls, so they have a real shot at reaching their full potential.
The Tech-Savvy Parent
Visit the Tech Savvy Parent and download resources for parents to have conversations about technology-facilitated abuse. With blogs, online courses and free and downloadable resources, this website and collection of resources are valuable support to parents. Their tagline? “Abuse has gone digital. Parenting hasn’t.”
Be sure to check out their latest free resource, “The 5-Minute Parenting Guide: Catfishing”
About NYSCADV's Because We're Dads Campaign
NYSCADV acknowledges the significant impact fathers and father figures have on promoting women's rights, gender equality, and healthy relationships. The Because We're Dads campaign, initiated in 2019 as part of NYSCADV's Primary Prevention Toolkit, aims to engage and mobilize fathers to support gender equality. It offers a collection of resources, webinars, articles, and promising practices for parents, prevention educators, and teachers. While the campaign supports all parents and caregivers, it specifically provides targeted assistance to dads and male caregivers.
As the new school year approaches, it's essential to equip parents and educators with the necessary resources to engage in meaningful conversations about healthy relationships. NYSCADV's Because We're Dads Campaign offers a range of valuable resources, including webinars, toolkits, and conversation starters, designed to support parents and teachers in promoting gender equality, consent, and nonviolence. Utilize these resources to foster equitable and respectful relationships grounded in healthy communication among children and youth.
