Blogs by survivors of teen dating violence

Our previous post talked about what we’re doing for Teen Violence Awareness Month to help raise awareness.  Being informed about it is the first step to spotting a dangerous relationship. In this article, we’re highlighting blogs and articles about teen dating violence.

The first site that you need to know about is the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline. It’s funded by the Liz Claiborne Foundation. Teens can access the helpline via phone or website. A live chat feature is available during late afternoon and evening hours. This is the place teens may want to call first when developing a safety plan or leaving an abusive relationship.

There are several blogs out that that give support to survivors of teen dating violence. One that has recently come to our attention is Life After Dating a Psycho. This survivor owned site provides support takes the guesswork out of what it’s like to be in an abusive relationship. Its light hearted way of dealing with the violence helps bring the point home that no one deserves to be abused.

The son of Elin Stebbens Waldal wrote Boy to Man; Finding Our Ultimate Purpose for English class. In it, he talks about what it is to be a man. In clear and concise language he simultaneously speaks out against teen dating violence and supports his mom. As a youth, she learned firsthand about being in a dangerous abusive relationship.

Stepping out of an abusive relationship takes guts and determination. Violence in a dating situation is never the fault of the victim. Survivors can lose sight of that. Remind them of that if someone you care about is being abused.

Don’t lose hope.  Healing from teen dating violence can be done. We believe that the above blogs may help survivors do just that.

Note: This post was updated on 12/15/11 to correctly reference the name Elin Stebbens Waldal. We are very sorry for the oversight and apologize for any inconvenience.