This webpage from the Teen Violence Prevention website outlines indicators related to dating violence. Many wait before getting help which puts youth at risk for further victimization. As a result, adults and schools should be aware of warning signs, such as mood swings, isolation, physical harm, bad grades, and sexual activity. Additionally, those that have experienced dating violence are more likely to lash out and perpetuate a cycle of abuse. The Teen Violence Prevention website has resources for both youth and educators.

This National Institute of Justice research brief highlights the prevalence of teen dating violence (TDV) and concludes that the characteristics within dating relationships affect the safety of both partners. Researchers are starting to look at the role that positive relationship dynamics play in reducing the likelihood that teens would leave abusive relationships. This brief suggests that a wider approach to understanding relationships that includes both positive and negative aspects should be considered as a preventative measure against TDV.

This report highlights a study that documented that almost two-thirds of young adults had encountered “some kind of dating violence” as teens in Orange County. These incidents include psychological and cyber abuse, stalking, and physical and sexual violence.

The purpose of the loveisrespect.org website (originally named the National Dating Abuse Helpline) is to involve and inform youth in the prevention and ending of abusive relationships. The website offers the Huddle Up for Healthy Relationships Materials Toolkit to support and recognize Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month in 2019. Print and interactive versions of the toolkit include resources such as banners, rip cards and pledge cards that can support greater public awareness of teen dating violence.

This special collection from the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence offers a variety of resources and approaches to prevent and respond to teen dating violence. These resources include fact sheets, best practices and programs, laws and legislation, and contact information for referral organizations. This menu is targeted for multiple audiences – young people, parents and caregivers, bystanders, men and boys, representatives from pregnancy prevention programs, teachers and school-based professionals, health care professionals, and domestic and sexual violence service providers.

The Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will host a webinar on February 20, 2019 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET to discuss the correlation between involved fathers and positive developmental outcomes for children. The research presented from the University’s School of Social Work on this topic can help service providers to be more intentional in helping fathers improve upon their strengths and communicating this perspective to fathers and mothers.

This report from the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund presents findings of a two-city (Nashville and Philadelphia) pilot that looked at how Financial Empowerment Centers inform their clients’ knowledge about financial literacy. It also reviews the ways that financial counseling expands low-income individuals’ saving outcomes and discusses how financial counselors work with these clients to meet financial goals.

This policy evaluation from the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin at Madison assesses the Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration project. The report covers 18 implementation sites, where half of the 10,161 demonstration project enrollees received enhanced child support services, employment assistance, parenting education delivered in a peer-supported format, and case management. The other half of enrollees were in a control group and did not receive extra services. Report findings suggest that future programs might invest in strong partnerships and communication systems as well as support customer-oriented approaches for enrollees. There are also recommendations on recruiting staff who can manage large caseloads and designing and delivering services to support sustained engagement among program participants.

This MDRC article highlights promising practices for interagency coordination between the criminal justice and child support enforcement systems. It identifies types of collaboration between these programs, suggests how to target program populations, and addresses institutional constraints that hinder implementation of reforms between the two systems. For additional information on reentry, OFA hosted a webinar entitled “Providing Effective Employment and Supportive Services to Low-Income Women with Criminal Records,” which can be found here.

The Children’s Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families produced this toolkit for child welfare agency staff to use with their evaluators. The toolkit presents “formative evaluation” as a way of assessing programs during their early implementation. The toolkit intends to identify areas for program improvement and measure the capacity of child welfare organizations and program readiness at the conclusion of projects.