We were recently contacted by musician Mars (MarsRaps) who sent us a video he made in response to hearing that 1 out of 4 women had an experience with domestic violence. After hearing that stat, he felt that he needed to say something, so he wrote this:
He then challenged his fans to help him spread the word about domestic violence through tweeting or facebooking their commitment with the hashtag #TakeAStand.
We are always excited when people find their own way to start talk about safe, healthy relationships. With October (Domestic Violence Awareness Month) right around the corner, we encourage you to start thinking about what you could do.
We love when people lend their voices to worthy causes. Good job Mars!
Why do we love MTV’s “A Thin Line” campaign? Because issues like digital disrespect, sexting, spying, and cyber bulling are things that affect so many teens. When our lives are filtered through our personal profiles and cell phones, it can be hard to know what is normal when it comes to internet/phone interactions. After all, often no one else sees your texts but you.
But that’s where athinline.org comes in. It has tons of teens talking about tech issues like that. Between videos, blog posts, quizzes and more, it’s a good place to get a lot of information. And if you need to talk to someone, MTV has listed our number and chat so you can discuss your thoughts with one our peer dating advocates.
So we’re very happy to see that MTV has been nominated for one of the biggest broadcasting awards around, the Golden Beacon Award. We wish them luck.
Listen to Jason Rzepka, VP of MTV’s Public Affairs discuss “A Thin Line” in an interview with JustMeans:
Over the weekend, Sheltering Wings, a domestic violence program in Danville, Indiana hosted their second annual Battle of the Bands. Local bands, with members ranging in age from 13-24, wrote songs about dating abuse or sexual assault. Among the bands that performed were Almost Awesome, Scarlet Dienasty, Achoo! I Sneezed, Holy Hand Grenade, 12 Hours of Kaos. The event sounds like it was a lot of fun and a great idea for raising awareness of dating abuse. We haven’t heard which bands won yet but we hope we have a chance to listen to them soon.
And as always – if your local domestic violence program or school is planning an event that focuses on dating abuse, please leave us a comment here. We’d really like to know about it.
For the third year, Jennifer Ann’s Group, an organization formed in the memory of Jennifer Ann Crecente by her father, has sponsored a video game design competition with a purpose – to educate about dating abuse. You can view and play the winning games, Grace’s Diary, A Decision of Paramount Importance, and Jellia’s Friends by visiting the organization’s website.
All of the games mention loveisrespect, National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline as a potential referral for those in need. We hope the Helpline will be able to help some of the people the games reach. For more information about Jennifer Ann’s Group and future contests, please check out their website at www.jenniferann.org.
Have you seen Eminem’s new video, featuring Rihanna, Love the Way You Lie? The video portrays a violent relationship between two characters, but as actor Dominic Monaghan tells MTV news, ’”I think we tried as hard as we could to not glorify the violence, to try and explain that this was a relationship that is by no means ideal and a relationship that probably should have ended a lot sooner than it did.”‘
Student members of the Center for Youth Leadership at Brien McMahon High School wrote this editorial about dating abuse which appeared in the Hartford Courant today. The Courant has made a pledge to continue to cover domestic violence in their community; Nina Raffio and Roberto Ceja remind us that dating abuse, much of the time effecting those under 18, is also important to keep in mind. Focus on this issue now may help prevent adult domestic violence in the future. We’d like to thank Nina, Roberto, and the Hartford Courant for giving dating abuse attention.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between spending a lot of time with someone you like and being physically or emotionally controlled. Did you know that it’s a myth that your boyfriend or girlfriend needs to know where you are all the time? Way too many texts or calls are a warning sign of an unhealthy relationship. Watch videos and find out the other 3 myths here. Remember that it’s a fact that 1 in 3 high school students have been or will be involved in an abusive relationship. Know the warning signs!
Would you be more likely to report bullying or violence if you were sure you would remain completely anonymous? PublicSchoolWORKS is counting on it. Their Student Bullying and Violence Prevention Program lets students and parents report issues 24/7 by phone or online. The program trains teachers and uses software to track reports and make sure situations are resolved. You can find out more about how it’s being used to stop student violence here.
Men Rally for Change, an organization dedicated to speaking up for safe communities and healthy relationships and strengthening men’s involvement in ending violence against women held a rally and march this past weekend. The organization which is under the umbrella of SafePlace’s Expect Respect Program in Austin, TX held the rally as part of SafePlace’s Field Day and Festival. It was a fun day of competition, activities and prizes as well as fundraising in support of SafePlace’s services for those affected by sexual and domestic violence. loveisrespect was proud to partner up with this worthy organization and take part in the rally and march. Click here to check out News 8 Austin’s coverage of the event. Additional footage and photos from the rally are available after the jump. Read more…
loveisrespect is proud to unveil the interactive Teen Power and Control Wheel! It is adapted from the Domestic Violence Power and Control Wheel and is customized to address dating violence issues experienced by teens. Each spoke of the wheel addresses a different tactic abusers employ in order to control their partner. By clicking on each spoke of the wheel you can view the video diary of a scenario that corresponds with that description. This wheel is a great tool for conducting your own discussions about teen dating abuse and brainstorming possible resolutions. Click here to check it out!
Men Rally for Change
loveisrespect is proud to unveil the interactive Teen Power and Control Wheel! It is adapted from the Domestic Violence Power and Control Wheel and is customized to address dating violence issues experienced by teens. Each spoke of the wheel addresses a different tactic abusers employ in order to control their partner. By clicking on each spoke of the wheel you can view the video diary of a scenario that corresponds with that description. This wheel is a great tool for conducting your own discussions about teen dating abuse and brainstorming possible resolutions. 
