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Dedicated to my Daughter Demi Cuccia and Teen Dating Violence

STEPS TO PREVENT Dating Violence~Abuse Most Important Is To KNOW THE "WARNING SIGNS"

INFORMATION

Click the Butterfly to Visit D.B.C page for RESOURCES, STATISTICS, and WARNING SIGNS.

1. BE ABLE TO LEAVE ~ Be wary of dates at out-of-the way places/unfamiliar places


2. PAY YOUR OWN WAY ~ If you pay for yourself you should feel no obligation to meet unwanted expectations of the other person


3. DECREASE INTERACTION TIME ~ While many couples in love think that they must spend all of their time together, it is very important that they continue with their own interests


4. ASSERT YOURSELF ~ If you don't have the freedom to say when you don't like something that was said or done, a warning light should go on that this person could be abusive


5. GET TO KNOW THEM ~

What do they say about the opposite sex in general? Is there abuse in their family? Do they talk only about themselves?


6. KEEP YOUR FRIENDS ~ Often girls stop seeing their friends except on the days when their boyfriends are busy. In a potentially abusive relationship this is dangerous, because of loss of support and isolation


7. BE ALERT ~ If someone talks down to your friends, won't respect your wishes or threatens to breakup if you don't do as they wish, you should see these as Red Flags


8. TRUST YOUR JUDGEMENT ~

You may sometimes have a sense that a date may be abusive but ignore this feeling, telling yourself that you are over-reacting. This can be dangerous, for if you minimize the behavior, you will not leave the relationship

Dating violence can happen to anyone at any age. Demi's mother Jodi is available to bring education into your school, organization or place of work. Dating Beyond Control is here to help you understand the dynamics of unhealthy relationships and break the silence of abuse.

demismother@yahoo.com

~Click the Rainbow to contact Demi's mom~

Demi Brae Cuccia Memorial Fund

My daughter, Demi Brae Cuccia was born August 14, 1991 in Austell GA. She was born at home, a middle child with an older brother and a younger sister. Our bond was immediate; she was a delightful, precious little girl, with a smile decorated with dimples. Demi always wanted to help and please those she loved.

We moved back to our hometown of Monroeville Pa when Demi was three.

We became a single parent family in 1996. I homeschooled Demi and her siblings, however, due to the change in our family dynamics, public school was introduced. This was quite a difficult adjustment for us all, especially Demi. .

Demi was always very creative and a deep thinker. She loved animals, children and enjoyed spending time at home with me, her brother Jake and sister Saige. She loved to color as a young child and looked forward to visiting Conneaut Lake in the summers.


In the 6th grade Demi was diagnosed with ITP, a disorder that affected her platelets. She was a very sick little girl and was hospitalized several times in a thirteen month period. She was healed at age 14 and that is when her faith in her Lord grew deep, she was so thankful to be well and took nothing for granted.

Demi fought to be resilient and was wise beyond her age.

As she grew into a beautiful teen, she loved making friends, striving for harmony in our family and in friendships. Cheerleading for Gateway High School was an activity she loved..


Demi met John Mullarkey when she was 15; I believe like all young girls, she was flattered that a boy liked her. This relationship was off and on because she wasn't allowed to “Date,” however, she spent time with John because he was her older brother’s friend and he visited our home.

Looking back at the signs that I wished I would of known, she was frustrated and emotional due to excessive texts. John monopolized her time, wanted her to quit cheering etc. All warning signs of abuse. I didn't know at the time that this abuse was taking place and what the warning signs were. I thought of her behavior as a “Normal” way a teen might react to a situation. It was not normal, it was warning signs, signs that we all missed.

August 15, 2007, one Day after her 16th birthday, Demi was murdered by John in our home. She was home alone. She was stabbed

16 times. John now serves a life sentence with out the possibility of parole….


In a different way so do we.

Since Demi's, tragic, unforeseen murder,

Demi"s mother Jodi, sister Saige and brother Jake, established the Demi Brae Memorial Fund in 2007.

Our mission, as Demi's family, is to honor Demi by educating teenagers, college students, parents, and educators on the warning signs of Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention.


Being Demi's advocate for Teen Dating Violence, along with creating this website,

allows us to continue to gift others with warning signs and the insight that she and I did not have. Education on TDV would have saved her life.

Verbal, Emotional, Sexual, Physical and

Digital are forms of abuse. Never to be deemed acceptable in any form in any relationship.

FACT~ 1 in 3 Teens will experience some for of abuse during their dating relationships. and 80% will continue to date their abusive boyfriend or girlfriend.

2007 Photo of Demi and her mother, 3 weeks prior to her murder.

IF YOU ARE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER CALL 911

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