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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - There were 329 reports of teen dating unit successful 2024, that’s a 27% summation implicit 2023.
The Marjaree Mason Center is seeing an alarming fig of teenagers betwixt the ages of 13 and 19 coming done their doors.
20 of the 329 reports successful 2024 were reported astatine schools.
District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp says astir of these cases commencement with societal media.
“Engage with your children, recognize what they’re watching, recognize what they’re seeing," Smittcamp said.
She says societal media posts acceptable a atrocious precedent for relationships.
“What is coming retired is the implicit sexualization of young children, of young girls, the abuse, the carnal abuse, the forced intersexual encounters that we’re seeing with truthful galore young women," Smittcamp said.
Police Chief Mindy Casto says this year, the Fresno Police Department responded to 234 home unit cases involving radical ages 13 to 19.
“Don’t beryllium acrophobic to inquire for assistance for yourself oregon for your child. And whether that assistance is from instrumentality enforcement, Marjaree Mason Center, oregon friends and family, delight scope out. You bash not request to endure alone," Casto said.
She urges the value of recognizing signs of abuse.
“Frequently going on with what their spouse says and does successful a antagonistic way, seeming disquieted astir perpetually keeping the spouse blessed and walking connected eggshells, showing large property changes, oregon adjacent talking astir their partner’s temper, oregon that they’re volatile, they’re jealous oregon possessive," Casto said
Chief Programs Officer Leticia Campos says conscionable past month, the Marjaree Mason Center saw 45 teens seeking situation effect services.
“Any clip a insignificant walks done our doors and is simply a superior unfortunate oregon immoderate clip I person a genitor reaching retired oregon a schoolhouse assets serviceman reaching out, we are each hands connected deck," Campos said.
Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michele Cantwell Copher says erstwhile schoolhouse is out, the contented becomes adjacent much urgent.
“Some students person shared fears astir what their spouse mightiness bash erstwhile schoolhouse is out, erstwhile they nary longer person entree to their schoolhouse counselors oregon their schoolhouse assets officers, wherever they nary longer consciousness that they person a harmless abstraction oregon field resources," Copher said.
The Marjaree Mason Center’s exigency hotline is 559-233-HELP oregon sojourn mmcenter.org.
If you are successful contiguous danger, interaction section instrumentality enforcement.
