New Campaign to Prevent Domestic Violence in Teens

AT THE STATEHOUSE, VICTIMS' ADVOCATES, POLICE OFFICERS, TEACHERS, AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS LAUNCHED A WEBSITE AND PREVIEWED PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS LIKE THIS ONE:
TAPE: PSA -- WHERE'S LISA? SHE COULDN'T COME - JAKE WOULDN'T LET HER. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? WHY DOES SHE LET HIM TELL HER WHAT TO DO? NO, WHY DOES HE TREAT HER THAT WAY?
THE MESSAGE IS: HEALTHY TEENAGE RELATIONSHIPS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE CONTROLLING OR ABUSIVE. THE GOVERNOR'S COMMISSION ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PRODUCED THE P-S-A'S WITH THE HELP OF LOCAL TEENS.
LOCAL VICTIMS' ADVOCATES CITE RESEARCH LIKE A RECENT HARVARD PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEY THAT FOUND ONE IN FIVE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS IN MASSACHUSETTS HAS EXPIRIENCED PHYSICAL OR SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN A RELATIONSHIP.

SUCH STATISTICS SEEM UNBELIEVABLE, BUT DOCTOR JAY SILVERMAN, THE LEAD INVESTIGATOR IN THAT STUDY, SAYS THE NUMBERS MAKE SENSE IN THE CONTEXT OF DATA FROM RAPE CRISIS CENTERS.
TAPE: THE MOST COMMON CLIENT OF A RAPE CRISIS CENTER IS A 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL. AND KIDS 13-18 ARE THE LARGEST GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO GO TO RAPE CRISIS CENTERS. YOUNG GIRLS ARE ABSOLUTELY EXPERIENCING THESE KIND OF ASSAULTS.

PROFESSOR VICTORIA BANYARD OF U-N-H MANCHESTER IS CONDUCTING A SIMILAR STUDY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE TEENS. SHE SAYS ADOLESCENTS MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT BEHAVIOR IS ALLOWED IN A RELATIONSHIP.
TAPE: 29/:28 TEENS ARE DEVELOPING INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS, A SENSE OF IDENTITY, ALL KINDS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, WELL I DON'T THINK THIS IS RIGHT BUT MAYBE I'M THE ONLY ONE. PEOPLE REALLY DO FEEL LIKW THEY'RE THE ONLY ONE.
UNHEALTHY, CONTROLLING RELATIONSHIPS AREN'T THE NORM, ACCORDING TO BECCA LEACH, A JUNIOR AT BOW HIGH SCHOOL. BUT SHE'S ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT HER FRIENDS AND HER PEERS.
TAPE: GIRLS TALK AND THEY ALWAYS WANT ADVICE. THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS SAY THAT'S NOT WHAT A RELATIONSHIP IS SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE. STICK TO WHAT YOU THINK AND IF SOMETHING FEELS WRONG THEN YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE RELATIONSIHP.
PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS SAY TEENAGE GIRLS ARE LESS LIKELY THAN OTHER WOMEN TO REPORT AN ASSAULT AND ABUSE. THE REASONS: PEER PRESSURE, PARENTAL PRESSURE, AND BECAUSE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS STILL LARGELY KEPT QUIET.
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