Sometimes, blog topics are just dropped into my lap, begging to be written about. That was exactly the case with this one. Because I am a Mary Kay consultant, I get e-mails from the company about various promotions that they are doing. Yesterday, I got an e-mail about the launch of a campaign called "Beauty That Counts."
In this particular e-mail about the campaign, the president was explaining how Mary Kay has teamed up with the non-profit Break The Cycle, as well as movie star Amanda Bynes, to encourage legislators to put an end to teen domestic violence through education programs in schools. It was launched on Tuesday with Bynes giving a talk at a high school in LA, as well as a showing of Break The Cycle's DVD entitled simply Ending Violence.
Why is this so important? Because 33% of teens report some kind of abuse stemming from their dating relationships. One in five reports physical or sexual abuse (that's 20%). Twelve percent report it as physical abuse (which means sexual abuse makes up for 8% of reports). It also affects teens of all types: homosexual, heterosexual, boy, girl, low-class, upper-class, white, black, Hispanic, Asian, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindi... all of them.
Of course, since the social circles of teens are relatively small (they see the same people day after day in the classroom), they are more likely to skip classes or drop out of school if they are abused by someone who goes to school with them.
For you pro-lifers, this type of violence is what leads to unwanted pregnancies, STDs, and suicide attempts, because they are more likely to take sexual risks and resort to drug and alcohol abuse. All in all, it's incredibly far-reaching in its implications.
What does this abuse look like? As I said, 12% is physical abuse, but it most often takes the form of extreme possessiveness and jealousy. Boys and girls equally report instances of relationship violence, but boys are usually the first to resort to physical violence.
There is a petition on Mary Kay's website, currently with over 4,700 signatures (there were just over 2500 yesterday when I signed) to send to legislators to promote these educational programs. I encourage anyone interested in stopping teen dating violence at its source to sign the petition. Also, Mary Kay is donating all the profits from the sale of Apple Berry Lipstick to Break the Cycle.
Of course, Mary Kay and Break the Cycle aren't the only organizations sponsoring programs to fight this 'epidemic'. The Family Violence Prevention Fund sponsors a program called Lessons from Literature in which English teachers use reading materials to promote discussion of this type of violence. This program is still in its infancy, but will include information from To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, and Their Eyes Were Watching God.
Several organizations in California have banded together to make a pamphlet targeted at schools that explains why this problem must be addressed. The Teen Victim Project gives many resources to preventing the violence in the first place, as well as help those already affected by such violence. Project PAVE, based out of Denver, also provides many resources for teens and other victims of domestic violence.
In the end, I just want people to become more aware of it. If they are more aware of domestic violence, they can help stop it by reporting it. Together, we can help the boys, girls, children, and women affected by domestic violence, and just maybe, one day we can put a stop to it as well.
You're right. This was a great thing just screaming to be blogged about. To help with the effort I just signed the petition. It's now up to 8229 signatures.
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This is a signature, an automated thingy that pops up when I comment, not a demand to see my blog!
Mind Control is Easier Than You Think
This is crucial information. I am so glad to see this and to see so many opportunities for concerned readers to do something. Like I said to Fallon on her blog about the March of Dimes, blogs that do more than bring awareness and offer solutions are the best! Oh yeah, that blog of Fallon's was called "Solutions Are Within Our Grasp," and if anyone reading this hasn't seen it, check it out.
This topic is very important to me. This is another piece to the puzzle of my own personal dream. I am almost finished with my business plan for a non-profit organization that will open group homes for abused, abandoned and neglected children. I am going to start with one home for pregnant teens or teen mothers and their children. It will be a research project as well. I am going to implement a therapeutic living model designed to not only foster self-esteem and healthy parenting skills, but will focus on fostering attachment and bonding behavior between the mothers and their children.
I spoke with a psychologist at work today who has worked in many different programs run by the state. My ultimate goal is to come up with a base model that will be proven to foster higher functioning and smoother transition into adulthood, to present it to the state of CA and have them adopt the model as the base requirement for all group homes in the state. My psychologist friend is interested in working with me and is hooking me up with the CDC and Department of Mental Health.
Programs like the ones you share with us here will help to get the message of need out there to the people who need to hear it and have the power to change policy.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
I am glad you wrote about this topic. Many people I know are victims of this including myself. It is sooooo hard to get out of these relationships as well because of the fact you fear for your life. Great blog now off to sign that....
Come to the darkside....we have cookies ;)
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/50086-%E2%80%9Ctaxi-darkside%E2%80%9D-u...
I dont think anythings going to eradicate domestic violence completely, except maybe a massive fucking asteroid hitting the planet. The desire to hurt, to maim, goes hand in hand with all our other...
im glad to see someone writing about something so important, i have had personal experiences with dating violence, and its something a person never forgets, and it can impact the rest of your life.
It's nice to see someone blogging about this and trying to take action. I myself have dealt with abuse, and I've seen friends deal with it as well. Someone that I used to be friends with used to hit me and hurt me a lot when I was younger, and nothing was really done about it. And I've had a friend end up in the hospital because of abuse. Thank you so much for blogging about this issue. If more people blogged about issues like these, it might open up people's eyes.
i had to admit a 17 year old girl to the adolescent unit at the psych hospital...
she was beautiful, and sad, very small, and dark. she had such a beautiful name...
she had just come to from a coma after an overdose on Vodka and Tylenol PM. She wasn't suicidal anymore, but said she didn't care that she had lived through it, it didn't matter if she was alive or dead...
the paperwork said she had just gone through a breakup with her boyfriend....
there was a lot going on with this kid, she was far more independent than appropriate, working at Ralph's, renting a room, being under warrant for arrest for running away from her grandma's while her mother knew where she was all along...lots and lots of drugs...dad not in the picture. last memory of him was getting drunk in his backyard on tequila and waking up naked in his bed...
it comes time to do her skin assessment, and all i see are bruises everywhere, the largest being 2" diameter...one on her inner left thigh..she says her boyfriend was "playing."
i say, "that's not 'playing.' if i love you and want to play and give you a hug, i promise you, you wouldn't have those marks, that is not 'playing.'"
she says it was just "pushing, pulling and grabbing," i said, "it sounds like you don't value yourself very much. you can't think very highly of yourself if you can find a way to make this okay. i just want to let you know that you have every right to make a police report. not that it would actually play out into anything that would affect him, but it would be your own way of standing up for yourself, and to stop making excuses for those who hurt you. you don't have to decide now, you can request help with this at any time."
after the skin assessment, in which i took photos of her bruises, i asked her, " would you like me to call the police?"
she said, "yes, please." that was the end of that. she didn't feel any better by the end of the shift, after talking to the police, but i walked away knowing i did everything i could to help her find her own power.
"O, I'm sorry you took that, -I meant that for the Devil, and you have stepped in and taken the blow. Don't get between me and the Devil, brother, and the you won't get hurt." --Billy Hibbard
I'm happy to hear that things are being done to prevent teen violence. Another thing is that victims are hurt so early in their lives that it will affect their future relationships and views of themselves.
My mom is a registered nurse and she did some work with Victims' Assistance. She also gives free seminars and pamphlets at schools. I usually help her put things together.
Now,I wonder if apple berry is my shade...
They changed the shades. The current shades are Pink Passion and Gingerbread.
~C
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Interesting, I think they will make good presents.