FARMINGTON – With grants from the Maine Women’s Fund and the Maine Community Foundation, Sexual Assault Victims Emergency Services worked with a group of high school students to create educational book covers for middle school students in Franklin County.

The topic chosen for the book covers was “Healthy Relationships.” The high school students made a long list of phrases such as “I have the right to have my needs and wants respected by others” and “approximately one in four teenagers will experience violence in dating relationships between the ages of 12 and 21,” which became part of the cover’s design.

The book covers were distributed to the schools in September.

Along with the book covers, a survey was created for the middle school students to clarify what the students do and do not know about dating violence. The survey consists of 10 questions regarding dating safety and sexual harassment.

At the end of the semester, the same survey will be given again to see if the students’ overall attitudes have changed. A similar survey was given to adults at the Farmington Fair in September.

SAVES has been active in the Franklin County high schools for many years, providing presentations and one-on-one support for students by the school-based advocate. The beginning of this school year has brought new opportunities for SAVES to work in the middle schools. As a result of the book cover project, SAVES was invited to provide 18 presentations at Mt. Blue Middle School. The topic for the seventh-graders was “Respect,” while the topic for the eighth grade was “Healthy Relationships.”

To schedule presentations in a school, contact Kristen Plummer, school-based advocate, at [email protected], or Amanda Damon, community education coordinator, at [email protected].

The toll-free, 24-hour hotline number is 1-800-871-7741. Local cell phone users can access the hotline by calling 778-0110. For more information on sexual assault, SAVES services or volunteer or internship opportunities, call 778-9522 or e-mail [email protected].