Gabby Petito's Parents Warn Teens About Red Flags About Domestic Violence (Exclusive)

Gabby Petito's parents hope to raise awareness about domestic violence among school-age children.

“Prevention is key,” Gabby’s mother-in-law, Tara Petito, tells PEOPLE. “They start dating in college, so they need to know where to go for resources. They also need to know the signs. They also need to know how not to become abusers. »

Tara, who volunteers at the Gabby Petito Foundation as an administrator and accountant, says: “A lot of times they could just say, 'Oh, I love you so much, let's have a joint Snapchat.' But it starts with control and: “I want to see everything you do.” So, they may not even realize that this is the beginning of an abusive relationship. We would like to go into schools and teach them about the signs.

Tara, 43, along with Gabby's father, Joe Petito, and Gabby's mother, Nichole Schmidt, and her husband Jim, established the Gabby Petito Foundation shortly after the 22-year-old aspiring YouTube blogger's death, disappeared while traveling across the country with her. engaged Brian Laundrie in summer 2021.

Her body was later discovered near a campground in Wyoming. Laundrie, who committed suicide, was found in a nature preserve near his family's home in North Port, Florida, on October 20, with a backpack containing what the FBI described as a notebook “claiming responsibility” for Gabby’s strangulation death.

The foundation focuses on raising awareness of domestic violence while creating stronger laws and policies governing how police respond to reports of domestic violence and missing persons.

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The foundation has also supported the National Domestic Violence Hotline – to which it donated $100,000 in 2022 to help build the group's capacity – alongside the Black and Missing Foundation and Missing Indigenous Women and murdered.

“People are paying more attention to these issues, especially domestic violence,” says Nichole, who, along with Joe, Jim and Tara, spoke on a panel at CrimeCon 2024 Nashville. “We get emails all the time from people saying, 'Gabby saved my life.' She gave me the power to get out of my abusive relationship. Survivors come out and tell their stories. The laws are changing and we will continue to fight.

“We need to prevent this from happening to other people,” she says. “It keeps us strong. Gabby works through us. We must move forward and change the world together.

Joe, 45, a warehouse chain manager who specializes in policy and legislation for the foundation, adds: “When you help someone, you… help change the course of their life in a positive way, and you want to start again. “.

Jim, 42, who focuses on domestic violence awareness training for first responders for the foundation, says it's “staggering” to see the number of people affected by this crime. “It really made us realize that they need a lot of help, and if we can help one or two along the way, it will go a long way,” he says.

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Tara says the nonprofit would like to start a domestic violence prevention program for elementary, middle and high school students.

“There are programs out there, so we don't really want to reinvent the wheel, but we would like to have a free program so all schools can participate in this program and contribute to it,” she said. “We are still learning. We try to learn as much as possible.

“We may not see changes for a few years, but kids need to know that,” says Tara.

If you are a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.