Threats: Threatens you, your friends or your family
Social Status: Using popularity to control relationship
Blame: Blames you for his or her anger
Peer Pressure: He or she spreads rumors or secrets about you
Sexual Coercion: Deliberate pregnancy or forced sexual acts
Isolation: Prevents you from spending time with you friends or family
To read more about dating violence among teens visit WomensLaw.org Teens page or more about what abuse can look like in Teen Relationships check out ABC's Teen Dating Violence: Warning Signs.
After the highly-publicized violence between singers Chris Brown and Rihanna, Gerry Leone, the District Attorney of Middlesex County, MA, created a competition for high schoolers to create PSAs about Teen Dating Violence to talk back against the media blitz.
Sparking the involvement of more than 200 high schoolers across the county, six finalists were chosen by a group of DV experts, school personnel and members of the District Attorney’s office. Today, 800 high students across Middlesex County will watch the videos in health class and vote on the winner. The winning PSA will be submitted to Boston television stations for possible airing.
Some stats about teen dating violence from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office: • 1 in 3 teenagers report knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked or physically hurt by their partner • Youth, specifically between the ages of 16 to 24, experience the highest per capita rate of intimate partner violence in the nation • Following news reports on the alleged incident between Chris Brown and Rihanna, a survey of Boston teens revealed that 46% of respondents believed that Rihanna was in some way responsible. In addition, 44% said that fighting was a normal part of a relationship.
Teen dating violence is something that so many have experienced and many more have witnessed. It’s important for teens to know their rights so they can be empowered to take a stand, for themselves and for each other.
What a creative project that empowers teens to resist overwhelming media representations that harm women, perpetuate male dominance, and blame the victim of abuse! Imagine the conversations had by each of those 200 students in the process of making those films as they learned more about the violence that affects their lives, their friends and their classmates. Through these projects these teens learned how to better support each other and how to question harm that seems “normal,” whether it is fighting in a relationship or appalling portrayals of violence against women in the media. Way to go, DA and high school students!
Most of all, who better to speak out against teen dating violence than the people it affects? Let’s continue to encourage them to do so.
Watch two of the submissions below or go here to watch the rest:
“End the Cycle of Abuse”
“A Cry for Help”
Which one would you vote for?
For more information on Teen Dating Violence, including legal information and where to find help, check out the Information for Teens section of WomensLaw.org.
In a study conducted by Liz Claiborne in 2008 it was reported that 62% of 11-14 year-olds who had been in a relationship knew friends who had been verbally abused by a boyfriend or girlfriend. Now there are more resources for teens than ever before to address this problem. Loveisrespect and Break the Cycle are two great resources on the internet. Also, take a look at this graphic novel by Safe Space. It is a great illustration of what abuse looks like among teens.
The graphic novel, titled "He Loves Me...He Loves Me Not", comes in Spanish and English and you can print it out yourself and use it as a tool in your own work with domestic violence! The cover of the down-loadable version is blank so you can include the information of your local resource.
Check out the new video by loveisrespect, the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline. We think these are great not only because they advertise the services at loveisrespect but also because they educate people about abuse.
Dating Violence Among Teens can look like:
Posts
![[VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins.]](http://www.volunteermatch.org/images/2.0/new_logo.gif){kind=logo}
