Teens should be recognized and involved during DVAM. During the month of October, we’ll be on the lookout for teens involved in domestic violence awareness events.

If you don’t know what’s being planned for DVAM in your area or you’d like to get involved, try contacting your local domestic violence program (one of our advocates can help you locate it), your school, or even your state coalition on domestic violence. So far, we’ve seen walks, vigils, benefit art displays, and donation drives on calendars across the country. If there isn’t anything planned in your area - consider doing it yourself. We’ll be featuring some DIY DVAM ideas here during the next few weeks.

Texas, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts are some of the very few states that have passed leglislation  requiring schools to have a response to dating abuse situations. This can include teaching dating abuse awareness in health class, enforcing protective orders on campus, and safety planning with students who report being in abusive relationships.  

Sign this petition, sponsored by Jennifer Ann’s Group, to show your support for dating abuse legislation and education in your own state.

Here’s a quick link to the study featured on the CBS Early Morning Show today, co-sponsored by loveisrespect and conducted by TRU.

The new law will provide the same rights to those in a dating violence situation as those in domestic violence situations. The families of the victims will be present at the signing.

Learn more about the bill here and here.

 Tim Gunn, chief creative director for Liz Claiborne and star of Bravo’s Project Runway, was gracious enough to stop by our office for a visit while in Austin this morning. Tim served as one of the judges for our Dating Bill of Rights video contest last year. Some of our volunteer peer advocates showed up early to demonstrate our live chat for him. Volunteers, staff, (and everyone else in the building) were very excited to meet him.

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Make your own video based on the theme of dating abuse and the Teen Dating Bill of Rights. This could be as simple as you reciting the Dating Bill of Rights, but any genre is ok: animation, documentary, music.

Don’t use copywrited music or images in your video.

Use our logo or mention loveisrespect, National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline in your video. *Logos can be downloaded here.

Judges include America’s Next Top Model Winner Jaslene Gonzalez and Project Runway’s Tim Gunn.

The Grand Prize winner gets a trip to NYC (with a parent).

Please read the complete, more boring version of the rules. We really don’t want to disqualify your video. Thanks.