Victims' Voices:

Empowering Victims of Relationship Violence

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month and this is my story of survival....... He was 6’2 and looked like he belonged on the walls of Abercrombie and Fitch with his wavy espresso colored hair, milk chocolate eyes, and rock-hard abs. He was affectionate, funny, smart, quick-witted, and dating me! For two years I was part of the “perfect high school couple.” You know, the kind they use to sell shampoo, teeth whitening strips, zit cream--anything that will make life as a teen better than it, supposedly, already is. The truth, however, was far different than the picture we were selling. In reality, my picture-perfect boyfriend was mean, demanding, abusive, and no one knew. Not even me, at least not until years later when I learned what dating violence was. Dating violence, or relationship abuse, is defined as a pattern of abusive behavior used against a girlfriend or boyfriend. It can be physical, such as hitting or kicking, verbal or emotional, including constant...

Feburary is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. It is unfortunate we need a month like this or organizations like Love is Not Abuse but it is more important then ever that we remain vigilent as we work to end violence in lives of our teens. Young love should be a time of joy, adventure, surprises and discovery, not a time for hurt, fear and abuse, yet that is the case for the 1 in 5 teens living in an abusive realtionship. How are you helping to change the numbers? If you aren't then it is time to change that. Reach out, educate yourself so you can offer the right resources when someone comes to you for help b/c with numbers like these someone will come to you someday and you need to be prepared. If you need information check out the sidebar on my blog or contact me and I'll send you a list. But please get the information and share it so that we can stop needing posters like this one.