In the News

Bloomington, Illinois: On May 5th, D VO had the honor of presenting at the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) School Wellness Conference. The conference brought together education professionals from across Illinois committed to student wellness, prevention, and support.

John Monaco presented DVO’s middle school prevention work using HeaRT (Healthy Relationships Toolkit), our CDC-developed program that helps students recognize unhealthy relationship patterns early. The response was inspiring. Schools want this work—and we are ready to grow.

Interested in bringing HeaRT to your school? Visit our Prevention resources to explore the program and connect with our team.

Warsaw, Poland: In early December 2025, Fr. Chuck Dahm, O.P., Domestic Violence Outreach (DVO) Director, was invited to and attended a two-day conference in Warsaw, Poland. The event was sponsored by the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), an arm of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organization across Europe, Asia and North American. The Mission of OSCE is to work for stability, peace and democracy through an engaged political dialogue, shared values and joint action.

ODIHR brought together key partners to explore how religious leaders and communities can help prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. This international event showcased and shared ongoing initiatives, effective approaches, and identified next steps for joint action across the OSCE region.

The conference was an opportunity for DVO to exchange experiences, build partnerships, and contribute to more inclusive and coordinated responses. The conference also marked the launch of ODIHR’s new practical guide for state institutions on engaging religious actors in efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls.

The conference focused on the role of religion in reducing gender-based violence, principally Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). Its title was: "Belief in Change: Engaging Religious Actors to End Violence against Women and Girls."

Approximately 50 people attended, primarily from Europe and Asia. Representatives came from Mongolia, India, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Macedonia, Greece, Moldova, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, England, Poland, and several more countries. There was a wide variety of different faiths present, but Christian, Muslim, and Jewish representatives were predominant. Many participants were from national and international agencies where they taught and/or advocated around VAWG.

Only two representatives were from the U.S.: Fr. Chuck Dahm and Deborah Rosenbloom, Chief Program Officer of Jewish Women International in Washington, D.C. Fr. Chuck was the only Catholic priest in attendance. Fr. Chuck reports that his presentation was very well received. Participants were very interested in DVO’s work and model, and, of course, its website.

Fr. Chuck notes that little attention was given to several important areas during the conference, including:

• Helping youth understand healthy and unhealthy relationships.
• Teaching in seminaries.
• Responding to men who cause harm.

He was practically the only one who spoke about preaching in religious congregations and forming local ministries.
DVO gained significant recognition and interest in its approach.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) & Trends Report: 2013-2023, August 2024 & Trends Report: 2013–2023 provides the most recent surveillance data, as well as 10-year trends and 2-year changes in health behaviors and experiences of high school students in the United States. The report focuses on adolescents’ sexual behavior, substance use, experiences of violence, mental health, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. It also includes data on topics, such as social media use and reported experiences of racism in school, that are important for understanding and improving young people’s health and well-being. ( PDF )
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2013–2023.
United States Department of Health and Human Services; 2024.