RespectFest, an event to promote healthy relationships and raise awareness about dating violence, will be held Sunday in Wheaton, according to the event website.
The annual festival, hosted by the Montgomery County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, will be from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Wheaton Community Recreation Center at 11701 Georgia Ave.
It is open to middle and high school students, their parents and youth-serving providers, according to the website.
The event will include free food such as soft pretzels, popcorn and churros; performances; yoga; a resource fair; prizes, games and activities; and booths offering activities related to dating violence prevention and intervention.
“Our goal is to begin discussing what healthy dating relationships look like early on because violence in an adolescent relationship sets the stage for future relationship problems and victimization,” the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement about the event.
The State’s Attorney’s Office said the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2019 found that “among U.S. high school students who reported dating during the 12 months before the survey” about one in 12 experienced physical dating violence and one in 12 experienced sexual dating violence.
RespectFest is co-sponsored by the State’s Attorney’s Office, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery County’s Commission for Women, the county police department, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and others, according to the website.
During the event, the winners of the annual RespectFest video contest will be announced.
Virtual events for high school students will follow Sunday’s festival, including a Consent Workshop from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday and Bystander Intervention at the same time Wednesday.
MCPS students can earn up to eight SSL hours for attending the in-person or virtual events, according to the event website.