loveisrespect Blog

Have you ever designed a shirt?  Do you like free prizes?  Have I got your attention yet?  BOM411.com has just launched its Design Not Drama campaign.  The campaign is a T-shirt contest that helps get the word out about domestic violence.  What a cool way to tell people about dating abuse!  The purpose of the campaign is to emphasize that “relationships come in all shapes and sizes… and they will involve some sort of drama.  How you decide to deal with that drama is up to you.”  

The contest is open to all California residents ages 15-19, and all entries are due December 5^, at 11:30 p.m. (for all you procrastinators, I recommend starting on your design before 11:29).  If you are not a resident of California, you should check out the T-shirt design anyway. 

CAUTION: The T-shirt design is highly addictive.  You may lose track of time while making your T-shirt, so make sure to have a clock nearby (in case you have to go to school, or in my case, get back to work).  

The winner of the contest receives a $1000 Apple gift card, 20 prints of his/her winning design, and a posting on the BOM411 website!  In other words, you could get a lot of cool stuff for expressing yourself.  We always have posted ways and tips for you to express your creativity to tell people about dating abuse, and we are ecstatic to hear that BOM411 knows that you guys are as creative as we have been saying!  (Also, free stuff never hurts.)  Below is a link to the contest.  Good luck to all participants… design your hearts out. 

Contest Link: http://www.designnotdrama.com/

To Write Love on Her Arms is an awareness campaign for the prevention of self injury, suicide, addiction, and depression. These things are all big aspects of dating abuse, and things we hear every day form callers and chatters. The stress and trauma of abuse can lead to depression and addiction in teens. We want to keep destructive decisions out of the equation and encourage teens to seek help and an outlet that is healthy and will allow for the greatest chance of recovery and success. Help spread the awareness for To Write Love on Her Arms project, by simply writing the word “Love” on your arm and spreading the word about this worthy cause.

www.twloha.com or visit their MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/towriteloveonherarms

A new study looks at the lives of boys that abuse their partners - read more about it at the UC Davis Health System website. While more research will need to be done, this study shows a connection between boys that abuse and troubles with home, school, and a peer group that encourages mistreatment of women and girls.

Whatever further studies clarify, clearly focusing on simple awareness of dating abuse isn’t enough. Prevention is equally important. The boys that participated in this study were already in groups for dating violence perpetration -  these groups aren’t easily found in some areas. What about boys that want help and can’t find it? Our peer advocates struggle with this issue every day.

We hope these continuing studies might reveal some new ideas for prevention of dating abuse. If you have an idea, share it here. What do you can help when parents, schools, and friends aren’t?