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USING MUSIC, MOVIES, VIDEO GAMES & SCHOOL CURRICULA, START STRONG IS PROMOTING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
July 20, 2010 | Family Violence Prevention Fund
The middle school years offer key moments in which to educate young people and their parents about healthy relationships and teen dating violence prevention. Programs that are doing this work should meet youth where they spend their time, such as in schools, and engage a range of community partners. And when these programs are effective in engaging youth as advocates and peer leaders, they can have lasting benefits.Those are among the lessons that adolescent experts, researchers and advocates shared with representatives from diverse federal agencies at a forum on July 20, 2010 at the United States Department of Justice. The “Teen Dating Violence Prevention: Why Middle School Matters” forum marked the halfway point of the four-year Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships,a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) administered by the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF). Its goal is to prevent teen dating violence. › more
Love Letters Workshop
June 21, 2010
Working with Start Strong Indy, Second Story, and the Learning Curve, students between 11-14 participated in a six-day writing, discussion, and technology workshop on the topic of healthy relationships. Author John Green joined the camp for a day to talk about writing, his books, and to participate in activities with the students. During the workshop, students created video blogs (vlogs), in addition to picking their favorite written pieces to be included in a paperback book. › more
In The News
Teen Dating Violence and Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie" Video
August 23, 2010 | Kababayan LA
Start Strong Los Angeles Program Manager, Trina Greene, and Start Strong youth leader, Renee, were interviewed by Kababayan LA 18 on the topics of Teen Dating Violence and Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie" Video › more
Message of violence: People respond to popular music video
August 16, 2010 | Vision Hispana
Experts on relationship violence and young people from the Bay Area and across the country are reacting to the violent behavior portrayed in the new “Love the Way You Lie,” music video by Eminem, featuring Rihanna. Starring actors Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox, the video depicts an abusive relationship and violent acts.Tatiana Colón is the director of Education and Youth Services at the Family Violence Law Center in Oakland, which is also the local office for Start Strong (a national youth violence prevention initiative). Colón is concerned about the video and its potential contribution to relationship violence and teen dating violence.“I am concerned that it sensationalizes dating and domestic violence - that it is OK to be in an abusive relationship,” she says. Youth who Colón speaks to about the video feel it tries to say that it’s sexy to be abused. Unlike other experts, Colón sees the video offering no benefit to awareness or understanding of relationship violence. “Rihanna sings that ‘that’s alright you make me cry’ and ‘I like the way it hurts’ – not only it is OK but almost that she likes it,” she says. “I was surprised to hear that, instead of saying that this is not OK.” › more
Press Releases
Lead Teen Dating Violence Experts Unite at Capitol Hill to Urge Increased Prevention Efforts
February 25, 2010
On Thursday, February 25th, a Congressional Briefing was held on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC to raise awareness about Teen Dating Violence prevention efforts and to highlight promising programs to build healthy relationships. The event was hosted by the Family Violence Prevention Fund, Jewish Women International, Liz Claiborne, National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline, Break the Cycle, and MTV.The event, cosponsored by Senators Crapo (R-ID), Lieberman (I-CT), and Whitehouse (D-RI), and Representatives John Lewis (D-GA), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) was attended by nearly 100 congressional staff, members of the media, and leaders from national advocacy organizations and federal agencies, as well as local youth. Panel members included Sue Pfeil - Principal of Jenks Junior High School and Start Strong Rhode Island partner; Dr. Rodney Hammond from the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Catherine Pierce from the Office of Violence Against Women; Jason Rzepka from MTV; and Loribeth Weinstein from Jewish Women International; and Kiersten Stewart, Family Violence Prevention Fund. Learn more. › more
Launch of Largest National Public Health Initiative Ever Funded to Stop the Spread of Teen Dating Violence
July 30, 2009
Blue Shield of California Foundation and Family Violence Prevention Fund unite with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to build "Start Strong", the largest prevention initiative aimed at 11 - 14-year-olds › more
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