February is Teen Dating and Awareness Month, and several community groups on St. John are holding a special event called “Love Like This” for teens and pre-teens on Monday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m.
Growing adults, both male and female, and their parents are invited to Shani’s Beauty Salon in Cruz Bay for “a conversation in a safe space for dialogue” and awareness activities to help prevent teen dating violence.
“One-third of teens will experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse from someone they’re in a relationship with,” said Joycelyn Jacobs, a volunteer with the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council.
“The idea is to ensure that you stay on the same page as your partner about your boundaries,” she continued. “We’re a close-knit community on St. John. We look out for each other.”
Shani Carbon, owner of Shani’s Beauty Salon, said she’s passionate about bringing awareness to this issue. Her three biological children and three step-children are now grown, but she wants teens to understand that if a dating partner raises a hand, it’s domestic violence and should not be dismissed as “just fighting.”
The event includes presentations by therapist Nisha Jones and Family Resource Center counselor Annette Smalls. The St. John School of the Arts and students enrolled in their Hear Every Voice and Expressive Pantomime programs will conduct activities in the arts about self-love and healthy relationships.
Shani’s Beauty Salon is located on St. Ursula’s Crescent, the small road to the right before the Anglican Church on Route 104 in Cruz Bay. “It’s a gray building on the right. You can’t miss it,” said Carbon.
The event is sponsored by Shani’s Beauty Salon, The Family Resource Center, AARP, the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council, and the St. John School of the Arts.
