7/28/12

Mansfield schools work to halt teen dating abuse | Mansfield News Journal | mansfieldnewsjournal.com

CLASSIFIEDS:

JOBS

CARS

HOMES

APARTMENTS

DEALS

CLASSIFIEDS

GARAGE SALES

DATING

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

News
Sign up Log in COMMUNITIES: Lexington Shelby

Ohio News
Bellville

Sports

Entertainment

Life

Voices & Views

Obituaries

Help
SEARCH

Ontario

Find what you are looking for ...

ADVERTISEMENT

Mansfield schools work to halt teen dating abuse

6:59 AM, Jul. 26, 2012 | Comments

Teen dating violence is on the rise, and north central Ohio schools are trying to deal with it. Mansfield City Schools invited the Mansfield Domestic Violence Shelter in February to present information on teen dating violence to more than 600 students. "We want students to recognize behavior that is not appropriate," Mansfield Senior High School Assistant Principal Margaret Sternefeld wrote in a news release. Jill Donnenwirth, director of community-based service for the shelter, said several other area schools have invited the organization to speak to students, including Madison, Shelby,
Written by Kaitlin Durbin New s Journal

ADVERTISEMENT

Most Popular

Most Commented

More Headlines

MORE IN NEWS

1 2 3 4 5

Obama to visit Mansfield Names released in fatal Thursday crash Firefighter comes home Butler raid nets 72 marijuana plants Queen, James Bond help welcome world to Olympics in London

Plymouth, Willard and Crestview. "We're educating the community," Donnenwirth said. "It's information we hope (students) will take with them when they enter a relationship." Recognizing the problem and addressing it put this region's educators ahead of most American high schools, who are slow to react to the issue, according to a Ball State University study. The research discovered the majority of high school guidance counselors had dealt with dating violence, but only 17 percent of surveyed schools had policies in place on how to handle the problem. Even more alarming to researchers, 90 percent of schools had not provided training on how to prevent teen dating violence in at least two years, if at all. The results indicated to researchers that schools "do not find (adolescent dating violence) a high-priority issue."

FILED UNDER News Local News

Most Viewed

mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20120726/NEWS01//Mansfield-schools-work-halt-teen-dating-abu

1/5

7/28/12

Mansfield schools work to halt teen dating abuse | Mansfield News Journal | mansfieldnewsjournal.com

The federal Centers for Disease Control defines teen dating violence as "physical, sexual, or psychological/emotional violence within a dating relationship, as well as stalking." It can occur in person or electronically.

Roadside memorial to young hero must be removed

Jun. 29, 2012

PHOTO GALLERIES

Proper role for schools?

Although Mansfield schools have made dating violence prevention a priority, some people question how involved schools should be. Is it the school's responsibility to educate students about healthy relationships, or is that infringing on parental borders? Jagdish Khubchandani, the Ball State physiology and health science professor who conducted the research, said it shouldn't be a matter of one or the other -- both parents and educators need to be involved. "People say parents should take more responsibility, and I'm OK with that, but parents are not with the kids for eight hours a day," Khubchandani said. Because most relationships develop in school, Khubchandani said, it becomes the responsibility of schools to ensure the relationships are healthy, especially within their walls. The CDC estimates 10 to 40 percent of high school teens are affected by teen dating violence each year. "First, kids go to their peers and tell them what's happening, then they might go to a school counselor," Khubchandani said. "Professionals can act as a line of defense." The government agrees. A state law that took effect in March 2010 requires public schools to incorporate dating violence into their policies prohibiting harassment, intimidation or bullying. School districts also must include dating violence prevention education in the health curriculum for seventh through 12th grades. But before schools can begin to prevent the problem, they have to acknowledge it exists and put protocols in place for immediate responses, Khubchandani said. He describes a protocol as a "comprehensive medical and legal response," meaning if schools notice an unhealthy relationship, they should immediate notify the child's parents, administration, legal authority and, if necessary, the appropriate health care provider. "For (schools), the first response seems to be panic" instead of action, Khubchandani said. For Khubchandani and Donnenwirth, action can be summed up in one word: education. They advise schools, host teen dating violence talks, pass out literature and post phone numbers students can call to ask questions or report abuse. But education goes beyond the students. School personnel also must be trained to spot the signs and symptoms of possible abuse, how to counsel students through the recovery process and how to work with legal authorities to protect victims.
mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20120726/NEWS01//Mansfield-schools-work-halt-teen-dating-abu 2/5
ADVERTISEMENT

Firefighter Joe Tadijanac?s homecoming

Scenes from 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremonies main

Restraint Installation
Canberra's Safest Restraint Fitting $25 Quick Fit - $50 Lesson
www.kidessentials.com.au

7/28/12

Mansfield schools work to halt teen dating abuse | Mansfield News Journal | mansfieldnewsjournal.com

"Prevention is such a hard thing to do, so the key becomes education, education, education," Donnenwirth said.

In the news
Locally, the issue became very big news this month. Ashland High School graduate Nathan Summerfield, 27, was charged with first-degree murder after authorities alleged he stabbed and strangled his ex-girlfriend in North Carolina. According to police, Summerfield had a history of inappropriate behavior while dating as a teen. In late March 2004, Summerfield was issued summonses on charges of criminal trespass and criminal damaging. According to a sheriff's office report, Summerfield crawled through a teenage girl's bedroom window to talk about their recent breakup. When the girl said she was going to call out for her parents, Summerfield broke two bedroom windows with his fist, the report said. He did not touch her or threaten her, but a window in the girl's car also was broken. Summerfield was a senior in high school at the time of the incident. In May 2005, Summerfield was issued a summons charging him with aggravated menacing. A judge had ordered him to stay away from the family, especially the 17-year-old girl. Reports said Summerfield threatened to kill the girl's father -- a claim he denied -- and declared his intention to marry her in phone calls. The girl told deputies she had broken up with Summerfield a couple of months earlier and that he continued to harass her. Summerfield told law enforcement that he broke up with her and she had conflicting feelings. A sheriff's supervisor told Summerfield to keep his distance until the girl turned 18. The Ball State research was a part of a national study on "Adolescent Dating Violence: A National Assessment of School Counselors' Perceptions and Practices," which will be published in the August edition of Pediatrics, a peer-reviewed medical journal. The study is the first national assessment of the role of school personnel in preventing and responding to dating violence. Khubchandani said he will release another study in three months that reveals how little school nurses are trained in the subject. Reporter Mark Caudill contributed to this story. kdurbin@nncogannett.com 419-521-7205 Twitter: @njKaitlinDurbin

View Comments | Share your thoughts

TOP VIDEO PICKS
selected by Taboola

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN

SPONSORED LINKS

Police calls: Drinking man

Inside Disney's New Cars Land

3/5

mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20120726/NEWS01//Mansfield-schools-work-halt-teen-dating-abu

7/28/12

Mansfield schools work to halt teen dating abuse | Mansfield News Journal | mansfieldnewsjournal.com

arrested at bar (Mansfield New s

Journal)

(Frommer's)

Woman found dead in reservoir identified (Mansfield New s Journal)

Teen alleges abuse at military school
May 30, 2012

When Should I Trade In My Old Car? (Moneyning.com) New Clues in JonBenet Ramsey Murder (The Daily Beast) Wild Car Wrecks From the Golden Age of the Automobile
(Visual New s)

Former caregiver accused of sexual contact with patient is indicted (Mansfield New s Journal) President's visit here makes sense politically (Mansfield New s
Journal)

Obama to visit Mansfield (Mansfield

Roadside memorial to young hero must be re
Jun 29, 2012

Dog Strangled by Phone Cord Saves His Own Life by Dialing Emergency Number (Vetstreet) Zero-emissions Mercedes-Benz F-CELL car a hit with green celebrities (Mother Nature Netw ork)
[?]

New s Journal)

Fireman's Ox Roast a big hit

(Mansfield New s Journal)

Thrown egg injures teen runner

May 29, 2012

ARCHIVES
View the last seven days Yesterday, Jul. 27 Thursday, Jul. 26 Wednesday, Jul. 25 Tuesday, Jul. 24 Monday, Jul. 23 Sunday, Jul. 22 Saturday, Jul. 21 See our paid archives for news older than a week.

THINGS TO DO
SAT

REAL DEALS
31
WED

READER PHOTOS
fixer-upper watercraft
By: RetiredAtLast

28

SUN

29

MON

30

TUE

THU

FRI

Farmer's Market Alta Florist and Greenhouse Mansfield, OH Girls Night Out in Mohican Downtown Loudonville Bluegrass in the Grove Lincoln Way Recreation Center North
Robinson, Ohio

abandoned boats
By: RetiredAtLast Flip, shop and save on specials from your favorite retailers in central Ohio. GET DEALS | COUPONS

Lucas U9 softball team wins 1st annual Galion Bases Loaded Classic
By: cubmommy MORE READER PHOTOS | MORE POST YOUR PHOTOS
ADVERTISEMENT

MORE Events | Submit an Event

Site Map | Back to Top

NEWS Photo Galleries Weather School Closings Data Center Business Elections Videos Story Archive Suggest an investigation OBITUARIES Funeral Homes Florists

OHIO NEWS Bucyrus Chillicothe Coshocton Fremont Lancaster Marion Newark Port Clinton Zanesville LIFE Moments of Life

SPORTS H.S. Sports Game Night H.S. Softball H.S. Baseball Ohio State Football HighSchoolSports.net VOICES & VIEWS Blogs Forums Submit a letter to the editor Submit and View Photos Facebook

ENTERTAINMENT Metromix Columbus Events Movie Listings Submit an Event

HELP FAQ Contact Us Subscribe Place an Ad Report a problem Staff Directory Back Issues Archives

FOLLOW US Twitter Facebook Mobile RSS E-mail Alerts Text Alerts

mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20120726/NEWS01//Mansfield-schools-work-halt-teen-dating-abu

4/5

7/28/12
Across Ohio

Mansfield schools work to halt teen dating abuse | Mansfield News Journal | mansfieldnewsjournal.com
Twitter News | Jobs | Cars for Sale | Homes for Sale | Apartments for Rent | Real Estate | Shopping

Copyright 2012 w w w .mansfieldnew sjournal.com. All rights reserved. Users of this site agree to the Terms of Service, Privacy Notice/Your California Privacy Rights, and Ad Choices

mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20120726/NEWS01//Mansfield-schools-work-halt-teen-dating-abu

5/5