Over 300 male student athletes at Golden Valley High School attended a presentation from the Domestic Violence Center of Santa Clarita on violence against women and girls and how it can be prevented.

Brenda Yanez, Youth Prevention Specialist with the DVC, gave the presentation, which featured statistics and videos intended to show ways to develop healthy relationships.

“What we see in the media are males being the aggressor,” said Sal Frias, Principal at Golden Valley High School. “Males need to understand there’s a proper way to have a healthy relationship and we wanted to communicate that to them.”

Nearly every male athlete on freshman, JV and varsity teams was there, including players from the football, basketball and baseball teams. Gender stereotypes and cultural presumptions were presented to the young men, illustrating how boys learn but also providing alternatives.

“Starting at a younger age has a greater impact on our community,” Yanez said. “The younger they learn it the quicker they can learn new skills.”

“Today in society, whenever you hear of pro athletes making mistakes, domestic violence seems to be occurring,” Frias said. “We have an opportunity to educate our youth and let people know there are ways to develop healthy relationships.