About a dozen high school students shared their stories about teen dating violence Thursday with U.S. Attorney William Hochul in a discussion streamed live to schools throughout the region. Hochul says the problem is much more common than many adults realize. He says teen dating violence is perhaps as common as one-in-three teenagers.
The U.S. Attorney reminded the teens about the strategies and techniques that can be used to end bad relationships.
"You've got to find somebody trusted, whether it's a friend, a parent, even somebody from the Family Justice Center. You need to know you're not alone. There's ways to escape the cycle of abuse. Don't hesitate, because sometimes the consequences are fatal," Hochul said.
The panel was held and broadcast as part of "National Teen Violence Awareness and Prevention Month."
You can watch the discussion here.