The month of February is dedicated to raising awareness about teen dating violence. According to Love is Respect, a non-profit dedicated to fighting domestic violence, 1 in every 3 teens in the US will experience some type physical, emotional, or sexual abuse by someone they are in a relationship with before they become adults.

Although teen dating violence may not seem like a real problem, it has been reported that 1 in 10 teens have been physically abused by their significant other at least once. Violence in young couples not only ruins current relationships, but also future relationships by creating a negative image of how a boyfriend or girlfriend should treat them.

To contribute to this awareness, the Block Out Violence club partnered with couples at Cy Ranch to encourage them to pledge to be in a non-violent relationship.

Two of these students, seniors Janay Walls and Charles Summers, said they decided to pledge to being non-violent because once you put your hands on someone else, the relationship does not need to go any further.

To combat violence, “we talk out our problems instead of getting mad and breaking up like a lot of other couples do,” said Walls.

To bring attention to the their goal of raising awareness of teen violence, the Block Out Violence club hung a poster with pictures of couples who have pledged to be non-violent in the main hallway. Under the pictures reads a quote “Love Does Not Hurt.”

“We want to promote non-violence in the community,” said Walls, a member of the club. “It is important to be non-violent in a relationship because no one deserves to be treated in a violent way.”