February marks Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, a time when communities nationwide work to educate young people about healthy relationships and the warning signs of abuse.

In Fresno, the Marjaree Mason Center is leading local efforts, including programs in schools, public awareness campaigns, and community events.

Each year, about 1.5 million high school students across the U.S. experience physical abuse from a dating partner, according to national estimates provided by the center.

To combat that, the Marjaree Mason Center continues its “kNOw MORE?” program, launched in 2009, which brings education and discussion about teen dating violence to Fresno County middle and high schools. The program is tailored to each school site and grade level, providing teens, teachers, parents, and advisors with strategies for prevention, awareness, and intervention.

Program Active at 43 Schools

This year, the program is active at 43 school sites across five districts, reaching more than 10,000 students in the 2025–26 school year. The center works with school administrators and social-emotional teams to help implement policies for handling incidents of teen dating violence, including how restraining orders are addressed on campuses.

Activities during February include National Wear Orange Day, Valentine’s Day events, and proclamations from the Fresno County Board of Supervisors and several city councils. The center has distributed nearly 5,000 orange awareness shirts to students, staff, and community partners.

In addition, the Marjaree Mason Center is launching its first podcast this month to create an additional space for education and conversation about teen dating violence. Local coffee shops and hair salons are participating in awareness efforts by placing stickers on cups and adding orange hair tinsel, helping to spark conversations throughout the community.

This year’s message encourages teens to “Know the Signs” of dating violence, including manipulation, isolation, digital control, and emotional or physical harm, and to “Know Your Worth,” emphasizing consent, emotional safety, and respectful relationships.

“Love should never make someone feel afraid, hurt, or insecure,” the center said in a statement. “No one is ‘too young’ to experience teen dating violence.”

About Marjaree Mason Center

For more than 45 years, the Marjaree Mason Center has provided safe housing, legal services, counseling, and education to survivors of domestic violence in Fresno County. The center was founded in 1979 after the murder of Marjaree Mason a year earlier by her ex-boyfriend, Fresno County Sheriff’s bailiff Robert Tillman.

For assistance or more information, the center can be reached at (559) 237-4706 or through its 24-hour confidential helpline at 559-233-HELP (4357), or online at www.mmcenter.org.

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