Placer DA launches Teen Dating Violence Student Assemblies

The Placer County District Attorney's Office announced the official launch of its Teen Dating Violence Student Assemblies Wednesday to kick off Domestic Violence Awareness Month, among other resource campaigns. The month's theme is "Never just one – one time, one person, one crime." Building on the success of the One Pill Can Kill Placer fentanyl assemblies, the DA's Office is now working to proactively educate students and residents on another urgent threat: intimate partner violence. The program partners with the parents of Justine Vanderschoot, who lost her life to teen dating violence homicide, the office's Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center (MDIC) and the county's Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). "No community is immune from domestic violence," said Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire. "The pain and trauma caused in the home and in intimate relationships leave a lasting impact on children, shaping how they see love and trust. That is why we must talk early and often with our children and our residents, to break the cycle before it begins. Domestic violence knows no income level, no zip code - it can touch anyone, and it demands our collective response." The DA's Office has prioritized domestic violence prevention through multiple education campaigns: The 2025 theme is "Never just one – one time, one person, one crime" – discussing the repetitive, ripple effect of DV: placer.ca.gov/NeverJustOne The creation of a countywide resource portal: placer.ca.gov/leave "This is a sign" campaign – using eye-catching imagery to discuss the dangers of DV: placer.ca.gov/9474/This-is-a-sign-campaign-to-close-out-Dom The office's Strangulation Awareness Resource Portal: placer.ca.gov/SARP - highlighting the 750-percent increase in risk for strangulation victims. Placer MDIC's teen dating violence education: placer.ca.gov/teendatingviolence Placer PROTECT's domestic violence education – showing the dangers of DV for elders: placer.ca.gov/PROTECT "Domestic violence is often dismissed as an isolated incident — one fight, one person, one mistake. But the reality is very different," said Domestic Violence Unit Supervisor Jamie Smith. "Abuse rarely ends after the first time, it ripples far beyond the two people directly involved, and often escalates into other crimes. This is why we chose "Never Just One" to be this year's theme as we educate our community and promote county resources." Learn more about the office's Domestic Violence Unit at placer.ca.gov/DVUnit and request a Teen Dating Violence Student Assembly at placer.ca.gov/DASpeakersPanel