How Long Does She Have

the problem:

Teen dating abuse happens in America more often than we like to admit. And the attitudes concerning it are equally shocking. Consider the vicious beating of Rihanna by Chris Brown and the worldwide response to it; MTV.com forums were full of victim-blaming and bashing, re-victimization of Rihanna, and support of Chris Brown.

Consider also the terrible incident of the gang rape of a 16 year old at Richmond High School in California after her Homecoming dance. Our America needs an attitude readjustment, and a paradigm shift. After all, this is America, not Afghanistan. We expect to be a little further along in terms of social progress.

vital stats:

people impacted:

10,000

people involved:

1

why it's important:

I am a female, and I am lucky. I was never touched in any unwanted way by anyone ever. But my mother wasn't so lucky; she was beat 'til bloody in her first marriage. She finally left when he bought a gun. Her mother didn't approve of her "abandonment" of him and was ashamed. Also, my dear friend in college married a man who beat her with increasing intensity, and I lost contact with her after finding out she was pregnant; I was actually afraid for my life, because her husband discovered my knowledge of the situation. Violence takes us down a dark path with seemingly no way out. Meanwhile, young American attitudes have little understanding of the complexity of domestic violence psychology. Let's change that.

the plan of action:

I want to design a series of ads to distribute throughout urban Baltimore and/or Washington, D.C., in areas such as high schools, colleges, recreation and women's centers, etc. They will be similar to the included picture. Using creative commons licensed photos, or self-created photos, I will design a photographic poster campaign to raise awareness of the issue, and to raise the consciousness' of young people to aid in a much-needed paradigm shift.

how you can get involved:

Printing, distributing, posing, designing.

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