Ellenville/Saugerties, NY– County Executive Mike Hein recognized and congratulated the winners of Ulster County’s Teen Dating Violence Video Contest at Ellenville High School and Saugerties High School last week. The Teen Dating Violence Video Contest Committee was formed as a subcommittee of the Ulster County Inter-agency Council on Domestic Violence with the goal to raise awareness about the national issue of teen dating violence. The contest encouraged students to produce creative short informative videos that identified signs of unhealthy or abusive relationships, while including local domestic violence resources.
The first place winners were 11th grade students from Ellenville High School, Vinny Mele & Edgar Saravia. The second place and third place winners were both 11th grade students from Saugerties High School: second place was Kelsey Gaulin; and third place was Daniel Douglas. Both schools had extensive student participation and had teachers that acted as media coordinators, working with all of the student participants: Tim Lukaszewski from Ellenville High School and Scott Wickham from Saugerties High School.
To congratulate contest winners and participants, County Executive Hein visited the schools and presented the students with certificates while members of the Teen Dating Violence Video Contest Committee presented the winners with gift cards thanks to the Ulster County Police Chiefs Association. Ellenville Police Chief Phillip Mattracion attended the Ellenville High School event while Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra attended the Saugerties High School. Both spoke to the students about the importance of their participation and how impressed they were with the students work. School District Superintendents and Principals were also present to congratulate and encourage the students. County Executive Hein spoke to the students about the importance of respectful and healthy relationships and identified the local resources to contact for help with teen dating violence, and other forms of domestic violence.
“It is impressive to see the extraordinary talent of so many of our high school students and I appreciate their commitment to raising awareness of the national issue of teen dating violence with the help of their amazing teachers,” said County Executive Hein. “I am pleased with the educational outreach being done by the Interagency Council on Domestic Violence and our new initiative addressing teen dating violence. Teen dating violence is a serious issue that affects many young adults and statistics show that one of three teens experiences some kind of abuse in their dating relationships. It is our hope that some of these videos will be seen by their peers and raise awareness of the signs of an unhealthy relationship and direct teens to the resources that are available if they find themselves in or observing an abusive situation. One of the many resources here in Ulster County that can help teens in these types of situations is the Family of Woodstock’s `Just Connect´ Teen Hotline which can be reached at 845-679-5999.”
Michael Iapoce, Ulster County Commissioner of Social Services and Chair of the Interagency Council on Domestic Violence
"The Council learned a great deal from the students thoughtful and creative entries about their understanding and perspective on domestic violence,” said Michael Iapoce, Ulster County Commissioner of Social Services and Chair of the Interagency Council on Domestic Violence. “They demonstrated that they have a real grasp on the issues and that the schools are an important partner in our effort to raise awareness and provide education about preventing domestic violence among young people in our community."
Lydia Diaz, Educator at the Ulster County Crime Victims’ Assistance Program, Member of the Interagency Council on Domestic Violence
“Teen dating violence prevention is a priority at Crime Victims; the fact that it is often under-reported makes it even more important that we raise awareness about the issue,” said Lydia Diaz, Educator at the Ulster County Crime Victims’ Assistance Program. “Thanks to the ongoing support of the County Executive, the Domestic Violence Council will be able to turn this contest into a yearly event highlighting the talents of our High School students. The response to this year’s contest exceeded our expectations.”
Joseph Sinagra, Saugerties Police Chief, Member of the Interagency Council on Domestic Violence
“Without the support of County Executive Hein, this endeavor would not have come to fruition,” said Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra. “We have a County Executive that is not only concerned about domestic violence in the adult population, but is further committed to seeing that teen dating violence is also addressed.”
Philip Mattracion, Village of Ellenville Police Chief and Ellenville School Board Member
“I want to thank and commend the Ellenville students for not being silent about the important, pressing problem of teen dating violence,” said Village of Ellenville Police Chief Philip Mattracion. In speaking to the students, Police Chief Mattracion quoted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Noting that Dr. King also warned against “the appalling silence of the good people.”
Tim Lukaszewski, ECSD TV & Radio Coordinator at Ellenville High School
"I really appreciate County Executive Hein coming to our school to personally present the awards and speak to our students,” said Tim Lukaszewski, ECSD TV & Radio Coordinator at Ellenville High School. “His personal connection to the issue of Domestic Violence was sincere and inspiring. My students were both excited & honored to be part of this initiative of Ulster County and the Crime Victims Support Unit’s effort to raise awareness of Domestic Violence at the teenage level."
Scott Wickham, Business Education Teacher at Saugerties High School
“I would like to thank Ulster County Executive Mike Hein for coming to Saugerties High School and honoring our students for their work on the Teen Dating Violence Public Service Announcement contest,” said Scott Wickham, Business Education Teacher at Saugerties High School. “Having Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra, School Superintendent Seth Turner, and Principal Tom Averill present also made the event truly exceptional. I am very proud of all the students' work and particularly impressed with the second place winner, Kelsey Gaulin and the third place winner Daniel Douglas. It is an honor and privilege to teach such exceptional students.”
Some of the statistics regarding teen dating violence are as follows:
- Girls and women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence
- 1 in 5 High School girls is physically or sexually assaulted by a dating partner
- 1 in 3 teens experience some kind of abuse in their dating relationships
You can help a friend or family member in an abusive relationship by:
- Being supportive and patient, and listening. It’s important that the victim expresses their feelings in a non-judgmental environment.
- Let them know you are worried about them or that you are concerned for their safety.
- Provide them with the appropriate information for resources that can help them (hotline numbers are listed below).
Teen Dating Violence and Domestic Violence Resources in Ulster County:
- Family of Woodstock 24-Hour Hotline (845) 338-2370, www.familyofwoodstockinc.org
- Family of Woodstock “Just Connect” Teen Hotline (845) 679-5999
- Crime Victims’ Assistance Program 24-Hour Hotline (845) 340-3442 www.ulstercountyny.gov/cvap
- Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (845) 331-9373 www.lshv.com
National and State Teen Dating Violence and Domestic Violence Resources:
- National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline 1 -866- 331-9474
- NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence 1-800-942-6906, 1-800-942-6908 (Spanish) www.opdv.state.ny.us
The Ulster County Interagency Council on Domestic Violence gathers together organizations that serve domestic violence victims to provide seamless delivery of services throughout Ulster County. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ucdomesticviolencecouncil. The winning videos from Saugerties High School and Ellenville High School can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/user/UlsterCountyExec/feed.
Pictured above: Ellenville High School Particpants/Edgar Saravia & Vinny Mele with County Executive Hein
Pictured below: Kelsey Gualin/Daniel Douglas with County Executive Hein, Saugerties High School participants
