IRVINE, Calif., – Human Options, Orange County’s leading organization in ending the cycle of relationship violence, celebrated its tenth annual “Love Shouldn’t Hurt” teen dating conference on February 8 at Santa Ana High School.
The event, held during Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, drew dozens of teens and families – including many repeat attendees – eager to learn about identifying and preventing unhealthy relationships.
“One in three teens experience some form of physical or sexual abuse, yet 81% of parents remain unaware because their children don’t feel comfortable discussing these issues,” said Human Options CEO, Maricela Rios Faust. “For the past decade, this conference has provided a crucial platform to teach Orange County teens that love shouldn’t hurt and to normalize conversations about relationship red flags with parents.”
The impact of this conference is exemplified in families like Ariel’s*, who came all the way from Bakersfield to attend. With three children, she has made a point to bring each child to the conference as soon as they’re teenagers. “A few years ago, when we were still living in Orange County, we brought my daughter’s boyfriend of six years to the Love Shouldn’t Hurt teen conference so he could understand what a healthy relationship looked like. Unfortunately, my daughter could see the red flags in their relationship after attending the conference and his behavior did not change leading her to make the brave decision to end the relationship. That’s one of the reasons I brought my youngest with me today from Bakersfield–I know how effective this conference can be.”
Keynote speaker Guadalupe Sosa, an alumnus of Human Options who was in an abusive relationship starting at the young age of 14, brought a deeply personal perspective to the event. “I can be that person to guide them because I needed someone. So just being the example for people is amazing [because] it heals my inner teen kid that needed that help,” she said.
This conference is a part of Human Options’ #HealthyLove campaign which aims to bring awareness to teen dating violence and promote healthy love. A comprehensive toolkit is available on the organization’s website in both English and Spanish, featuring educational resources including quizzes, graphics, facts, social media posts and Zoom backgrounds. To learn more please visit: https://humanoptions.org/LSH2025/.
Human Options encourages victims to call their 24-hour hotline at 1-877-854-3594 to access shelters and other supportive services, including therapists and counselors. If anyone is in imminent danger or has a physical emergency, call 911. Human Options provides immediate assistance and supportive services at several walk-in Family Resource Center locations throughout the county. For a list of locations and contact info, click here.
For more information about Human Options, please visit www.humanoptions.org.
*Name changed for purposes of anonymity.
ABOUT HUMAN OPTIONS
The mission of Human Options is to ignite social change by educating Orange County to recognize relationship violence as an issue that threatens everyone, advocating for those affected by abuse, extending a safe place for victims, and empowering survivors on their journey of healing. Now in its 43rd year, Human Options provides a full continuum of services to stop the violence, such as a 24-hour crisis hotline, emergency shelter and transitional living programs, education, awareness and prevention presentations and trainings in the community, and low-/no-cost services, including counseling, legal advocacy, children’s therapies and empowerment classes offered in six locations throughout the county. Individuals seeking help can call 877-854-3594. For further information about Human Options, call 949-737-5242, ext. 211, or visit www.humanoptions.org.
