School Based Counseling

The 2023 Chicago Public Schools Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that nearly 12% of Chicago high school students experience dating violence. Yet students and teachers consistently tell Take Back the Halls (TBTH) that they lack the knowledge, skills, and resources to effectively address this crisis.

Meanwhile, community-level data underscores the urgency: according to Illinois provider data, only 8% of all domestic violence clients served were teens—a number that includes both survivors and child witnesses. This gap shows that teens experiencing dating violence are simply not being reached by traditional community-based services. Without early intervention, too many young survivors are left without support.

School-based programming changes that reality. By bringing prevention and intervention directly into schools, TBTH ensures that young people have access to timely, confidential, and life-changing support. We are the only provider in our service area offering schools a truly comprehensive response—one that integrates prevention, early intervention, and systemic capacity-building.

For students identified as victims of dating violence TBTH ensures immediate access to school-based group and individual counseling and advocacy. Through our partnership with Metropolitan Family Services Midway Center, we provide a school based Domestic Violence Counselor who conducts a thorough assessment and collaborates with each teen to develop a personalized service plan that addresses both their immediate safety and long-term healing.

Teens receive emotional support, advocacy, education, and problem-solving skills, as well as guidance in understanding their rights under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act (IDVA). The counselor provide safety planning, connect students with critical resources, and empower them to navigate the challenges of violence and abuse as a teen.

The goals are clear and life-changing:

• Reduce the immediate and long-term impact of dating violence

• Create practical, personalized safety plans

• Increase knowledge of rights and available resources

• Build the skills necessary for healthy, safe relationships in the future

By embedding these services directly in schools, we remove barriers that often prevent teens from seeking help. Our approach ensures that survivors and witnesses are seen, heard, and supported in the very place they spend most of their daily lives, while also building pathways toward long-term safety, resilience, and hope.

With your investment, we can ensure that teens experiencing or witnessing dating violence are no longer overlooked—and that our schools have the tools to keep students safe.