As school safety measures intensify nationally, federal, state, and community organizations are increasing their efforts to provide preventative solutions with greater mental health services attached. The federal government recently released an additional $70 million to expand school-based mental health services while states are individually modeling school safety programs with mental health identifiers and services. Yet, beyond the threat of school shooting prevention lies a crisis of behavioral concerns, from verbal and physical threats to unattended emotional issues that are affecting school communities as a whole.

Tackling the root causes of behavioral and emotional wellbeing could be as integral to student growth and success as adopting well-structured academic programs. Quality, well-implemented programming provides students with the foundational skills necessary as they grow into adulthood. Prevention education represents a supportive element of the emotional learning process.

Prevention strategies examine interpersonal relationships and societal factors that can lead to physical violence and psychological abuse to prevent them before they occur. Students are given tools to identify and understand healthy relationship dynamics and the telltale signs of the dangers of unhealthy bonding. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), intimate partner violence affects over 61 million women and 53 million men in their lifetime, taking root in the teenage years. 

To better understand prevention efforts, Strategos Group’s Partner and former White House appointee to the U.S. Department of Education, Todd Dallas Lamb, interviewed Julie Myers, CEO of the One Love Foundation. During Lamb’s On the Clock podcast, they discussed relationship abuse prevention, centered on the story of Yeardley Love, a University of Virginia lacrosse player tragically murdered by her ex-boyfriend. The 2010 tragedy became national news and led to today’s efforts by the foundation to educate on the warning signs.

As Yeardley Love’s lacrosse coach, Myers recalled the hidden hardships that Yeardley carried trying to navigate the abusive relationship as a college student. Although she had broken up with her boyfriend, studies now show the heightened dangers of post-relationship situations. “We didn't realize that many of the behaviors that Yeardley was experiencing were [draining] her life. The manipulation and his control were building toward violence for months and months. We didn't realize it until it was too late,” she recalled.

Yeardley’s death initiated the formation of The One Love Foundation, founded by Yeardley's mother and sister, which focuses on educating young people about healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors through workshops and resources. Recognizing and addressing relationship abuse across demographics remains an emphasis of the foundation's mission. “How big of a problem is relationship abuse in America?” asked Lamb. “At first, it was thought domestic violence was with married individuals with kids and financial problems and struggles. We now recognize that domestic violence and relationship abuse live in the 18 to 24-year-old age group. It’s so prevalent. High school and college is a super vulnerable spot,” said Myers.

From the beginning, Yeardley’s mother, Sharon, emphasized greater active awareness of the vulnerabilities, the age affected, and the need to begin the process as early as possible. What started in college soon filtered down to high school and middle school environments. “We have 16 different workshops with seven different learning objectives. We create any lesson plan for middle or high school classes, whether 40 minutes or an hour. We have all kinds of objectives and lesson wizards that help teachers generate them. Prevention education is our huge focus,” said Myers.

Myers’ role is to carry forward Sharon’s vision of providing educational materials that are accessible to everyone. No one should be hindered from learning and recognizing the signs of unhealthy relationships because of affordability. “One of my missions as the CEO is to keep this machine of One Love and this content going,” added Myers. “How do we keep adding to the content, our team, and outreach - and keep it all free?”

As Myers explained in the podcast, Yeardley’s legacy is one of love and appreciation for others. She always brought joy and comfort and was the first to make people feel included. This spirit of inclusion matters most to One Love’s mission. While some school safety measures concentrate on perpetrator identifiers as a chief objective, prevention programs that build ownership and agency for all students to gain awareness can make a tremendous difference. For young people venturing into adulthood, recognizing healthy and unhealthy relationships will remain crucial to their journeys. The One Love Foundation represents a dedicated player in a field of other resources stepping up to the plate with widespread awareness as the ultimate goal.

To hear more from this enlightening Todd Dallas Lamb and Julie Myers interview, head on over to On the Clock, part of the Strategos Podcast Network (SPN.)