March 10, 2026 – Springfield, Massachusetts – HERizon members – high-school aged girls from across Hampden County – gathered at the Hampden District Attorney’s Office on Feb. 24 for a workshop on healthy relationships.

The purpose of HERizon is to equip young women with tools, confidence, and community to navigate life’s challenges and opportunities with purpose.

The Feb. 24 meeting was led by Dana Parsons, chief of the Hampden District Attorney’s Office Domestic and Sexual Violence Unit, and Rachelle Hannoush, director of youth, violence prevention, and court support programs for the YWCA of Western Massachusetts. The goals of the workshop were to understand what healthy relationships look like, to clarify the true meaning of consent, and to learn how to confidently set and maintain boundaries.

When it comes to understanding healthy relationships, the three core qualities laid out were respect, trust, and honest communication.

The leaders went on to discuss green flags and reg flags in relationships. Some green flags – a positive sign, signal, or trait – are active listening, feeling safe and secure, and open communication. On the other hand, red flags – a warning sign or behavior that is toxic or unhealthy – include controlling behavior, isolation from friends, and jealousy framed as love, to name and few.

Parsons and Hannoush shared some consent truths, such as silence and “maybe” does not equal consent. Furthermore, being in a relationship does not equal automatic consent, and people can change their mind at any time.

Participants discussed real-life scenarios to determine if consent was present and practiced identifying clear and enthusiastic agreement.

Next, they talked about boundaries, including physical, emotional, and digital boundaries.

Some of the boundary scripts practiced were, “I’m not comfortable with that,” “I need more time,” and “please don’t joke about that.”

When it came time for discussion, the group of young women talked about why it can be hard to say no, such as the fear of losing someone, the desire to fit in, and the fear of being labeled “dramatic.”

At the end of the meeting, the group participated in an interactive activity called “Flag or Flag.” Holding up red and green flags, the girls analyzed dating and relationship scenarios as a group.

“This workshop is so important because it helps young women understand healthy relationships, consent, and boundaries in a real and meaningful way,” said Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. “I’m grateful to Dana Parsons and Rachelle Hannoush for leading such an empowering and impactful discussion for our HERizon members.”