La Casa Protegida Julia de Burgos (Casa Julia) and Puerto Rico en Óptima Salud (PROSa) have launched the "Ahí Es" campaign, an initiative focused on preventing dating violence and promoting healthy romantic relationships.
The campaign aims to raise awareness about relationship dynamics among young people and encourage deeper reflection on the factors that shape healthy relationships.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 35% of adolescents between 12 and 17 years old have been in a romantic relationship, making it a key experience in emotional and social development. However, studies have shown that 70% of dating violence victims do not seek help, which underscores the urgency of educational and prevention strategies.
The initiative aims not only to identify warning signs in relationships, but also to help young people visualize and define what constitutes a healthy relationship. "We want fewer and fewer women to need our shelter services. The key is prevention and education starting from the first romantic experiences, giving our youngest population the tools to identify and cultivate relationships based on respect and equity," said Lenna Ramírez Cintrón, executive director of Casa Protegida Julia de Burgos.
The "Ahí Es" campaign recognizes that early relationships can be formative, establishing emotional and behavioral patterns that influence adult life. The initiative aims not only to identify warning signs in relationships, but also to help young people visualize and define what constitutes a healthy relationship.
"It is essential that young people in Puerto Rico be able to recognize their own expectations and set healthy boundaries in their relationships, developing a more realistic and healthy idea of love and human interaction, without idealizing or romanticizing harmful behavior."
–Samaris O. Vega Torres, director of Proyecto PROSa
"Often, a lack of adequate emotional education leads us to normalize toxic behaviors, such as control, jealousy or manipulation. The invitation is to reflect and get to know ourselves in order to build more authentic and respectful bonds," Vega Torres added.
One of the campaign's main resources is an interactive quiz designed to help young people identify their negotiables and non-negotiables in a relationship, fostering a better understanding of their values and expectations in romantic life.
"We want to provide tools so that young people can recognize both 'green flags,' which indicate a healthy relationship, and 'red flags,' which signal possible patterns of violence. Identifying these factors is key because many people can fall into harmful relationships without realizing it, simply because they have not been taught to recognize patterns of violence or control," said Dr. Irma Torres, a clinical psychology expert and collaborator on the campaign.
In partnership with Farmacias Caridad, the initiative will include the distribution of educational materials across its 48 stores in Puerto Rico, as well as the incorporation of prevention messages into its Valentine's Day merchandise. The campaign will also feature prevention messages broadcast through the pharmacies' speakers and on billboards in various areas of the island, extending its reach and visibility.
"Our goal is to bring this message to as many young people and their families as possible, ensuring that dating violence prevention is an accessible and relevant topic for the entire community. Through this partnership, we aim for the prevention message to reach not only schools and social media, but also the everyday spaces where young people and their families interact," Ramírez Cintrón added.
Through social media, the campaign aims to generate conversation and encourage young people to question what a relationship based on mutual respect really means.
The "Ahí Es" campaign will also incorporate multimedia content with educational material, testimonials and practical tools to strengthen informed decision-making in personal relationships. For more information about the "Ahí Es" campaign and to access the interactive quiz, visit www.ahiespr.com.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
