The Retreat Invites Kids to Fight Back Against Teen Dating Violence with Video Contest

To mark February’s National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, The Retreat, a domestic violence services organization in East Hampton, is joining forces with a statewide movement to make a change this January.

The Retreat has teamed up with the New York State Office for Prevention of Domestic Violence to invite kids ages 14 to 18 to put their creative ideas and social media skills to work in the 2016 #ICanDoSomething Video Challenge.

During the month of January, teens are invited to share videos with The Retreat using #RetreatICDS. The Retreat will then share each video received on its social media channels to help the video go viral.

The original videos, one minute or less in length, should illustrate one or more values of a healthy relationship. Dates for submissions run through January 31, 2016.

The top 12 finalists will be chosen to compete through public voting, and the winners will be awarded prizes, including a Go Pro Camera for an individual entry, a one year’s supply of movie tickets for a small group of two to five, and a party pack, for a large group or class.

For more information or to submit an entry,click here.

Participants in the project are asked to use the hashtag #ICanDoSomethingNY to share ideas. Some ways teens can get started, according to the New York State Office for Prevention of Domestic Violence, include:

• Watch the “ICanDoSomethingNY” video on YouTube and share it with friends. Raise awareness during February using one of the ideas in the video or be creative, and come up with your own.
• Check out the Resource Card (pdf) HTML (Web page) for additional information about the #ICanDoSomethingNY campaign and statistics about teen dating violence.
• #tdvcandyhearts – The Candy Hearts campaign encourages teens and adults alike to share their pledge to end Teen Dating Violence using social media. Teens and adults can help by downloading, printing and displaying the poster shown, and by sending a candy heart.
• Use a social media accounts to tweet or post facts about dating violence and to suggest ways friends can get involved. Post the web banner as a picture, share the link to the teen website , or tweet about the month.

Send a tweet to your followers:

“I will say something if I see someone being abused by a partner. @NYSOPDV #tdvcandyhearts”

“I will support victims of teen dating violence in my community. @NYSOPDV #tdvcandyhearts”

“I will teach my younger siblings about healthy relationships. @NYSOPDV #tdvcandyhearts”

• #orange4love - Turn your school, community, and social media accounts orange for love during February. Wear orange all month long or pick one day to wear orange shirts, nail polish, ribbons, hair extensions, face paint, shoelaces, or anything else. Post your orange activities on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter using the hashtags #orange4love and #nysorange.
• #dontdonothing - All year long, choose to speak up against any acts of dating abuse you see, whenever you see it. Be an active bystander. If someone is being treated in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable, step in. Think about telling someone you trust. When you see people targeting someone online, don’t ignore it, at least change the subject. Speak up. Don’t Do Nothing.
• Proclamation (pdf) HTML (Web page) – Consider requesting a proclamation from your local elected officials; see our sample for possible ideas.

• Web banner – Download the Respect Love, Love Respect web banner announcing Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.Put it on your Facebook page (or make it your profile picture), attach it to your e-mail signature, or send it to your friends and family. Ask your school to post it on their website and include it in their newsletter.

• Poster - OPDV’s “This Isn’t Love” teen dating violence awareness poster (high-resolution pdf - 508kb) can be printed in color on 8-1/2” x 11” paper and posted throughout the school. Other sizes: Medium resolution (pdf - 141kb) Low resolution (pdf - 95kb)

• Get your schools and community involved. There are many ways in which schools or youth programs can raise awareness of teen dating violence. See a listing of suggestions or come up with your own!
• Want more facts about Teen Dating Violence? - Learn more about the problem of teen dating violence. Read statistics in the Teen Dating Violence Fact Sheet (printer-friendly/pdf).

Teen dating violence is a serious and growing concern, the office states.

According to the New York State Office for Prevention of Domestiv violence, : 61 percent of female victims and 44 percent of male victims of stalking are stalked by a current or former intimate partner.

In the United States alone, approximately 1 in 3 adolescent girls, or an estimates of up to 35 percent, is a victim of interpersonal violence.

Statistics indicate that 80 percent of teens say they know someone who has been controlled by a partner, and 60 percent know someone who has been physically abused. Meanwhile, 29 percent of teens say that they themselves have been physically abused by a dating partner, and 54 percent report some form of abuse —yet only 37 percent of parents are aware that their child has been abused in some way.

In addition, 47 percent of 13-18 year olds who have been in relationships reported that they have personally been victimized by controlling behaviors from a boyfriend or girlfriend.

The repercussions can be life altering. Dating violence can have a negative effect on health throughout life. Teens who are victims are more likely to be depressed and do poorly in school. They may engage in unhealthy behaviors, such as using drugs and alcohol, and are more likely to have eating disorders. Some teens even think about or attempt suicide. Teens who are victims in high school are at higher risk for victimization during college.

One in four teens who have been in a serious relationship say their boyfriend or girlfriend has tried to prevent them from spending time with friends or family; the same number have been pressured to only spend time with their partner. Almost one-third of girls who have been in a relationship, or 29 percent, said they’ve been pressured to have sex or to engage in sexual acts when they didn’t want to do so. Nearly 80 percent of females reported experiencing at least one incident of physical or sexual aggression by the end of college.

And, in addition, 49 percent of males in high school to fourth year in college report using at least one incident of physical or sexual violence against an intimate partner.