Claudia Flores thought it was strange when she saw her younger sister lay an outfit neatly on her bed and take a photo of it before getting dressed one morning. Years later, she found out that the picture was for a high school boyfriend who insisted he should approve of what her sister wore each day. That boyfriend also talked her into enrolling at a community college with him instead of accepting a four-year grant to attend Cal State Fullerton.
The couple fought often, and whenever they did he would leave a teddy bear on her desk to try and convince her that things were all right. He had even teased the boy about the gesture. He and Flores acknowledged it might be an innocent show of affection. But although his son appeared happy, Islas and his wife, Irma, wanted to be sure he was also thinking of the well-being of his young partner. I want them to be able to love and have someone love them back healthily.
The event opened with a keynote presentation by Mario Valdespino, a junior at Anaheim High School and co-chair of the youth group Project S. When he asked if anyone in the room had experienced abuse at the hands of someone they were dating, 15 out of the roughly 80 people who attended the conference raised their hands. But as they talked about red flags of abusive relationships and chatted with other teens in breakout sessions away from their parents, they realized that they had seen examples of what they discussed firsthand.
Sandy Hernandez said she believes teenage girls feel more pressure than their counterparts to keep a relationship going. In her experience, being in one had been an idealized part of her identity that was difficult to walk away from, and she found herself doubting her own self-worth at times when things went sour with a partner. On Saturday, Flores, Valdespino, Human Options chief executive Maricela Rios-Faust and others talked about technology and social media as ubiquitous, practically essential tools that have had a growing impact on the mental health of young people.
Later, members of the youth empowerment group Girls Inc. The group activities served as a bonding moment for many families, with some parents embracing their sons and daughters after proudly examining what they had created.
