ROCKPORT — The mantra of our country for the last few years has been that any change to be seen in the country starts with the millions of students, who have the ability to influence the future of our nation in many ways. 

That mantra rings true in Rockport, where a small, yet influential, group of students at Camden Hills Regional High School is working to bring more awareness to domestic violence and relationships among their peers. 

At the beginning of this academic year, three high school students created the Women’s Student Organization, which falls under the umbrella of the school’s newly-established Healthy Relationships Committee designed to educate students on the importance of healthy dating relationships. 

“Our group was asked to help this committee reach its goals,” said Lora Levenseler, the student group’s adviser. 

The group, which has not officially been designated a school club, was cofounded by students Hope Bifulco, Grace Wrona and Morgan Knauer. The trio approached Levenseler, a math teacher at the high school, about being their adviser and rounded up another 13 students to join the group. 

“Our mission is to help improve the environment for young women in our school community, and to support local and global women’s charities,” Bifulco said.

“Working with the Healthy Relationships Committee is one of the ways we can most effectively do so, while simultaneously providing everyone with information about healthy relationships,” Levenseler said about the group’s mission. 

Among the first orders of business for the 16-member group is hosting a free Valentine’s Day breakfast for students at the high school from 7:30 a.m. to 8:05 a.m., sharing with students what constitutes a healthy relationship. 

Percentage of high school students physically assaulted by their boyfriend/girlfriend in Knox County in 2016: 

Freshmen — 8.8%
Sophomores — 9%
Juniors — 4.2%
Seniors — 9.5%

Percentage of high school students physically assaulted by their boyfriend/girlfriend in Waldo County in 2016:

Freshmen — 11.1%
Sophomores — 4.8%
Juniors — 11%
Seniors — 6.5%

Percentage of high school students in Knox County forced to have sexual contact in their lifetime:

Freshmen — 6.5%
Sophomores — 9.8%
Juniors — 9.7%
Seniors — 13% 

Percentage of high school students in Waldo County forced to have sexual contact in their lifetime:

Freshmen — 3.7%
Sophomores — 15.5%
Juniors — 14.1%
Seniors — 11.6%

Statistics courtesy the 2017 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, conducted by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education. 

At the breakfast, the group will denote on place settings and red roses what actions in a relationship are healthy and unhealthy. 

The Rockland-based New Hope for Women organization defines teen dating violence occurs when a person uses abuse — physical, emotional, verbal, or sexual — to gain power and maintain control over their partner with the abuse generally escalating over time. This month is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. 

Healthy signs, according to the student group, in a relationship include a partner who expresses anger appropriately; a partner who encourages you to do things together and with others; a partner who respects personal boundaries and sexual limits; and a partner who effectively communicates verbally.

The student group notes unhealthy signs, or red flags, in a relationship include a partner who blows up at little things; a partner who wants to isolate you from friends and family; a partner who has strong gender stereotypes; and a partner who pressures you for sex.

A volunteer from New Hope for Women will be at the breakfast to answer questions and the group’s brochures will be available. 

Additionally, the student group will also share results from a survey they have been conducting about teen relationships within their high school. 

Though the student group’s survey results are not yet available, New Hope for Women says 25 percent of dating couples report some type of relationship violence and 40 percent of girls between the ages of 14-17 know someone their age who has been hit by a boyfriend. 

Furthermore, the New Hope for Women says nearly 80 percent of physically abused girls in an intimate relationship remain in the relationship and that patterns of abuse and violence developed in middle school or high school carry into adult relationships.

Strengthening the relationship between the student group and New Hope for Women, the teen group held a bake sale in November to support a family, the victim of domestic violence, transitioning out of the New Hope for Women group. 

The school organization has secured space in the school’s library that will contain books regarding teen dating violence, with suggestions provided by New Hope for Women.

Titles appearing in the school’s library will include: 

“Why Does He Do That: Inside the Minds of Abusive and Controlling Men” by Lundy Bancroft
“Crazy Love” by Leslie Morgan Steiner
“Bitter End” by Jennifer Brown
“Breaking Beautiful” by Jennifer Shaw Wolf
“Breathing Underwater” by Alex Flinn
“But I Love Him” by Amanda Grace
“Dreamland” by Sarah Dessen
“Inexcusable” by Chris Lynch
“The Miseducation of Cameron Post” by Emily M. Danforth
“Painting Caitlyn” by Kimberly Joy Peters
“Rage” by Julie Ann Peters
“Shattered” by Sarah N. Harvey
“Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson
“When Dad Hurts Mom” by Lundy Bancroft
“The Woman Who Walked Through Doors” by Roddy Doyle

The student group has a full plate for the remaining months of the academic year as they work to receive club status from the school board and plan their next event, a 5K charity race in the spring. 

Working around their academic commitments, the group is also in the process of integrating discussions of healthy relationships into the school’s curriculum, an effort being assisted by the Healthy Relationships Committee. 

Much work remains for the student group, but they are committed to the cause. After all, they, too, want to be part of the change for good this country is experiencing.

And it all starts with the area’s students. 

New Hope for Women's hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-522-3304. If you would feel more comfortable chatting online with an advocate, the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline has a Live Chat. This feature is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can access the live chat by going to www.loveisrespect.org, by texting "loveis" to the SMS shortcode 77054, or by calling 1-866-331-9474 (TTY: 1-866-331-8453).

Reach George Harvey at: sports@penbaypilot.com.