The Department of Public Safety of the Orihuela City Council has launched the campaign “Digital Gender Violence in Adolescents: 10 Ways to Detect It”, a preventive initiative aimed at young people in the municipality.
The campaign was presented at a press conference by Councilor for Public Safety, Mónica Pastor, alongside police officers from the Gender Violence Unit, who explained the program’s objectives and content.
Councilor Pastor emphasized that the campaign addresses a pressing reality: digital gender-based violence among teenagers. “Young people today interact differently than we did. Mobile phones, social media, and digital platforms are central to their daily lives and first romantic relationships, where unhealthy behaviours can become normalized,” she explained.
The campaign’s main goal is to equip adolescents with the knowledge and tools to identify, reject, and prevent situations of digital control, abuse, or violence. It is designed to be educational and preventive, fostering awareness before serious problems arise.
The program will run in January and February in Orihuela and Orihuela Costa schools, starting at CIPFP El Palmeral and continuing at IES Gabriel Miró, with plans to extend it to primary schools in the coming months.
Inspector José Manuel Rech, head of the Juvenile and Gender Violence Unit, highlighted the importance of educating minors about the risks of internet and digital spaces, aiming to prevent situations that many young people may not recognize as dangerous.
Officer Inma Sánchez, responsible for UVIGEN, noted a rise in cyberbullying, sexting, and ghosting among students. She stressed that the campaign helps teens recognize all forms of digital violence, including psychological, emotional, economic, and digital abuse, not just physical.
An innovative component of the initiative is a Spotify project called “Break Your Silence”, run by UVIGEN. It will regularly feature content for teens, including testimonials and awareness messages, encouraging them to speak out against violence and seek help when needed.
The ultimate aim of the campaign is to empower adolescents to recognize, avoid, and stop digital abuse in their relationships, while promoting healthy, respectful, and equal partnerships.
As the campaign reminds: “Love does not control. Love does not monitor.”
