loveisrespect Blog

 We’re so excited to announce the winners of our dating bill of rights video contest. Ashley Hoyle of Wichita, Kansas won first place for her very cool video (below). Second and third places went to groups of students in Buffalo, New York for their videos, We Have the Right and Don’t Become a Statistic.

We really appreciate the effort everyone took in creating in their videos. Also, much thanks to those who took the time to watch the videos and vote.

 I just found out last night that last week, my daughter’s boyfriend slammed her head against his car window a few times while they were arguing. She isn’t hurt now, but I am very worried about her. My daughter knows this is wrong but she believes it won’t happen again. My daughter is 18, so I can’t make her do anything. But what can I do?

You’re obviously right to be concerned for your daughter. While she may really believe this won’t happen again, this isn’t usually the case with physical abuse.

If you can, discuss the situation in a very low pressure way with her and ask if she might consider giving loveisrespect a call. A peer advocate can talk to her about abusive relationships and help her make a plan to safely end this relationship when she’s ready. All of our calls and chats are confidential. She doesn’t even have to give her name.

Some things you might suggest to your daughter:

* Try not to be alone with her boyfriend.

* Keep a cell phone with her and use it to call for help if needed.

* Try talking to a counselor locally (alone).

This is truly a difficult situation for a parent. Trying to force your daughter to make a decision about this relationship will likely only push her further from you. Let her know you’re concerned and available for support. Consider calling us yourself if you’d like to talk more about the situation.

*We don’t generally answer questions in detail through email. If you have a question or concern about dating abuse in your life, please call us or log in to our live chat.  This is a representation of a question only.

Today we posted the five finalists for our Dating Bill of Rights Video Contest. Please take the time to watch these videos and vote for your favorite. Voting will close on the 21st - and then we’ll announce our three winners.

We really appreciate the time and effort every entrant put into their video. Also, we want to say thanks to our wonderful celebrity judges (Tim Gunn, Jaslene Gonzalez, and Ann Shoket) for narrowing it down to five finalists for us.

In her article, Too often, teen dating poses hidden risk, for the LA Times Dr. Valerie Ulene includes some quotes from our president and a referral to our phone number and website.

Hey, thanks to everyone who sent in entries to our video contest. We really enjoyed watching every single one of them! Check back to vote on your favorite starting December 10th.

The deadline for our video contest is almost here - and we’re still receiving great videos (like the one below). If you’ve got an entry, get them to us by December 1st. And remember to check back with us - voting begins as soon as we’ve picked the finalists.

• * Surviving victims from a tragic incident in Colorado Springs concerning dating violence are still in the hospital . Our number is given as one referral in this article.
• * loveisrespect has a new way to connect with you - our Facebook Page.
• * New entries have arrived for our video contest - and you can still enter too. The deadline is December 1st. Voting will begin in December.

We had a little Halloween party for our staff and peer advocates yesterday. We ate too much candy, watched some scary movies and had some very creepy visitors…

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Hope your Halloween is (or was) a happy one!

Hi Everyone,

I recently participated in It’s Time to Talk Day – a day for focusing on the issue of teen dating abuse hosted by Liz Claiborne and loveisrespect, National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline. I was really excited to be invited, but before taking part, I spent some time researching dating abuse and domestic violence. Though I knew it was an important issue before, I found some statistics at www.loveisrespect.org that surprised me. Did you know that 1 in 5 teens who have been in a serious relationship report being hit, slapped or pushed by a partner? But it’s not just physical abuse - 1 in 4 teens who have been in a serious relationship say their boyfriend or girlfriend has tried to prevent them from spending time with friends or family. When you put it that way, it’s easy to see that dating abuse probably effects someone in your life, whether you know it or not.

I hope you’ll take the time to visit the newly updated loveisrespect.org for info on dating abuse and healthy relationships, quizzes, the Teen Dating Bill of Rights, and if you need it, a direct link to live chat with a peer advocate. Please take the time to educate yourself. Even if you’re not in an abusive relationship, you may be able to help a friend or family member.

Thanks,

Camille Winbush 

*I’m featured in a new PSA for loveisrespect, National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline. Watch for it!

We’re so excited about the newest entries to the loveisrespect video contest. Thanks to all who have entered and please keep them coming! Remember: top prize is a trip to NYC and judges include Tim Gunn and Jaslene Gonzalez.