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9 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,F ebruary 10,2022 insidehalton.com PAULO LEON - February 19 ELLEVATOR - February 26 Le REN - March 5 Signature ConcertsSignature Concerts Radius' Youth Dating Vi- olence (YDV) Intensive In- tervention Program is fo- cused on individuals -- in Halton, and across the province -- between the ag- es of 12-24 who are using vio- lence within a dating rela- tionship. "We were determined to engage in work with those who use violence in their relationships, as that is where the targeted change needs to occur," said Bente Skau, Radius' clinical direc- tor. A 2017/18 Health Beha- viour in School-Aged Chil- dren study, the first nation- al study in Canada to look at adolescent dating violence (victimization and perpe- tration), showed that this behaviour "impacts a sub- stantial minority of Canadi- an youth and is a serious health problem." One in three youth who had dated reported adoles- cent dating violence, whether it was psychologi- cal, physical or cyber abuse, according to the study. Sta- tistics showed that the ma- jority of victims experi- enced psychological abuse. This can include manip- ulation, name calling, con- trolling behaviours, threat- ening, isolation from friends, and gaslighting, said Harford. "Many people who experience psychologi- cal abuse find themselves questioning if they are even being abused, because the perpetrator tends to be skilled in manipulating the victim into believing they deserved to be treated that way, or convincing them that the abuse never hap- pened (gaslighting)." What makes the YDV program "unique world- wide" is the combination of a comprehensive trauma assessment, as well as weekly therapy with a des- ignated clinician until treatment goals are reached, said Harford. Existing services tend to be manualized, group- based treatment, and al- though this can be very beneficial to some clients, research has not always supported the efficacy of this type of program, said Harford. "We understand that it is incredibly difficult to ask someone to take responsi- bility for their actions, when likely no one has even been accountable to them for the harm they have ex- perienced. By using a trau- ma-informed approach, we process the harm they expe- rienced in order to help them learn to take account- ability for the harm they have caused," said Harford. Referrals to the program can come from schools, pro- bation officers, community organizations, or youth themselves. In-person sessions are available for those who live close to the Oakville or Etobicoke Radius offices, with the virtual option opening the free program up to clients across the province. Radius staff will deter- mine the program's success through clients' completion of before and after psycho- metric questionnaires, as well as with post-treatment follow-ups (with clients' consent), and checks with the Canadian Police Infor- mation Centre to find out if any additional charges have been accrued, said Harford. More and more research is coming out related to teen dating violence, said Skau. "What is clear is that there is not a direct causal pathway to engaging in vio- lence. There are a myriad of risk factors.... It is our hope to contribute to the body of research by examining how or when young people are able to desist from using vi- olence in their intimate re- lationships," added Skau. Radius' current Public Safety Canada grant will expire in June 2024. "We are searching for fu- ture/permanent funding, as the work of ending YDV will be far from complete by the end of the grant," said Skau. To learn more about the YDV program, visit radius- cys.ca. NEWS Continued from page 3 Radius treats children and families affected by violence. Graham Paine/Metroland 1 IN 3 YOUTH EXPERIENCE DATING VIOLENCE: STUDY "What is clear is that there is not a direct causal pathway to engaging in violence." - Bente Skau, Radius' clinical director CELL 905.399.9544 OFFICE 905.844.5000 wilma@wilmafournier.com wilmafournier.com 226 Glenashton drive.Oakville. $977,777 Run to the phone!! Gorgeous 3+1 bed, 3 bath 2 car garage home Central to all Oakville amenities, gas fireplace Finished basement Newly decorated, brand new flooring ,in-opposite the park,mins to QEW, Dundas Oakville place, hospital