Middle Schoolers Love Texting, One Direction, And Making PSAs Against Teen Dating Violence
We often hear about teens being self-absorbed and uninvolved, but one amazing group of middle school girls is blowing that stereotype out of the water. According to Jezebel, six girls from East Texas are actively working to reform legislation and radically alter the way their state deals with teen dating violence, and it all began with a YouTube video.
The middle schoolers were assigned a community outreach project through Destination Imagination, an organization whose mission is to inspire students to find creative solutions to real problems, and they decided to use the resources available to them to make a PSA about teen dating violence.
The girls say they hear hallway gossip about boys who’ve called their girlfriends fat, and classmates who’ve threatened self-harm to avoid a breakup. They hope the video will alert their friends and peers to the fact that no one has to stay in a potentially damaging relationship.
They hoped the PSA would educate their peers and encourage people in bad situations to seek help, but the response they got was much bigger. The middle schoolers met with Texas state legislators last week in an effort to reform an old bill that requires Texas schools to have policies in place for confronting teen dating violence and educating students about the problem. The original bill was passed in 2007, but the girls told Jezebel they feel it’s not being properly enforced. Thanks to them, a new bill has now been filed that would create a “workgroup” for the purpose of analyzing current school policies and transforming the way anti-violence programs are implemented in schools. It’s a huge deal and something that likely wouldn’t have happened without the awareness this group is raising.
It’s thrilling to hear about students getting involved in such an important cause. Domestic and dating violence are a worldwide problem, but it begins in youth and it begins with a lack of awareness. According to Love Is Respect, an organization that works to combat dating violence, one in three teens in the United States is the victim of physical, sexual, emotional, and/or verbal abuse from a dating partner, yet 81% of parents believe teen dating violence is not an issue.
These girls may be focused on Texas, but their story is getting national attention and raising awareness all over the country. I wouldn’t be surprised to see other students following in their footsteps. In fact, I hope that’s exactly what happens. This is an inspiring group who put a much-needed spotlight on a disturbing issue. I can’t wait to see how they use their voices in the future.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
