Every
year, millions of youth will become victims of violence. Some of the most
common forms of violence are bullying and dating abuse.
One
in four teens will be bullied, and one in three teens will become a victim of
dating violence.
And
the problems are all too often ignored. Eighty-five percent of the time no one will intervene
with bullying, and over eighty-one percent of parents believe that dating abuse
is not a problem.
Here
are ways to speak out against teen violence:
- Learn about the facts
-
Treat others with respect
-
Be a good example
-
Keep your friends accountable
-
Learn about the resources in your community and online
-
Volunteer
-
Write letters to elected officers
-
Wear t-shirts, bracelets, etc. to raise awareness
-
Get involved in local and online campaigns
-
Get help if you or someone you know is a victim
Some
online campaigns to check out include the “No More” campaign,
“The Love” campaign, the
“I Choose Anti-Bullying” campaign, and
the “No Matter” campaign.
Our
new releases…
Outcast
by Susan Oloier
Noelle
dreams of a different life, one where Trina Brockwell doesn’t exist. Trina has
bullied Noelle since junior high. Now she’s tired of it. With the help of her
black-sheep aunt and a defiant new classmate, Noelle seeks revenge. But
vengeance comes with a price: Noelle risks friendship, her first love, and
herself to get back at those who have wronged her.
Break From You
by Rebecca Green Gasper
Love
shouldn’t hurt this much…Brooke Myers wants to believe she has it all: the
perfect guy, the perfect relationship, the perfect life. She wants to believe
it so much that she's willing to overlook the fear, the isolation, and the pain
her boyfriend has caused her. She knows it isn't right but tells herself that
love isn't always easy. However, when a fire destroys the restaurant during
homecoming dinner, she forms an instant bond with the boy who saves her, one
her boyfriend wouldn’t like. With the pain of a concussion reminding her of how
bad things can get, she is forced to re-evaluate the relationship she has with
her boyfriend and face the ghosts that haunt her. Brooke once believed love was
all it took…but is it enough? Is it truly love when you've lost yourself in it?
Thank you to Susan and Rebecca for stopping by my blog today! Be sure to check out all of their links and to see the rest of the stops on the Speak Out Against Book Tour here.
You can find Outcast on Amazon and Smashwords and follow Susan's blog here, or find her on Goodreads. You can also find Break From You on Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble. Follow Rebecca's blog here, or find her on Goodreads.
So scary what kids have to deal with today.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting us today, Amanda, and for helping us get the word out about teenage dating violence and bullying.
DeleteIt terrifies me.
DeleteI have cousins and siblings still in these formative years and the pressures they're put under blows my mind.
DeleteOh, and you're welcome Susan! Thanks for being a guest!
DeleteKids just get more and more mean. I'm glad people are raising awareness!
ReplyDeleteBullying and dating violence is a serious issue and I hope more and more people will become aware of just how serious.
DeleteThanks for stopping by today Felicia!
Amanda, Thank you so much for hosting our Speak Out Against...tour and helping us raise awareness on teen violence.
ReplyDeleteSure thing Rebecca! Thanks for thinking of me when putting this thing together - good luck on the rest of the tour :)
DeleteOf course, you're an amazing writing and I'm looking forward to reading more of your work. So excited about your completed work and that you are NaNo'ing now.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi, Amanda,
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you. This subject needs to be discussed. Parents should be more aware. I believe kids are so much meaner these days is because parents are not involved enough, or teaching their kids respect for others and our environment.
ReplyDelete
In many ways, I grew up isolated from the rest of the world. It wasn't until I was much older that I understood and became thankful for my parent's decision to homeschool me.
DeleteAs an adult, and seeing my younger cousins go through the public school system and knowing many high school kids through my job, I can easily see which parents are teaching their kids respect at home and which ones are not.
I agree in that it is unfortunate that more people don't seem to get how important a role they play in their children's lives.
I agree, so much of it starts at home. It is so important to talk and teach children. And you're right- it's about respect and caring for other, too.
DeleteThough my kiddos are in public school (sometimes I cringe at that notion), I believe my husband and I teach them respect and compassion for others. It's a huge part of being a positive member of our society.
DeleteThis is a wonderful post. Just stopping by to look around.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Glad you enjoyed TammyAnn! Thank you for stopping by!
DeleteThe further we get from our animal roots... hmm. That isn't going to fly everywhere. I'll try again.
ReplyDeleteThe further we get from our tribal roots, as humans, the bigger this problem becomes. Humans are not at their best in groups much bigger than an extended family. What you learned growing up in relative isolation is very difficult to replicate in the middle of a city.
Assuming that the behaviour of humans largely replicates the troop behaviour that is seen in (other) primates, problems mainly arise when individuals have to leave the group. In primates this can be for many diverse reasons, though usually it is because young males are forced out. The principle is similar, regardless of how you regard the bond between human beings and primates. The primary social group still exists, but now elements of it are outside of its control - should this only be a soft control, purely psychological in nature.
Members outside the group have little to lose, because they have no status to gain or throw away. Status exists within the group, and is only meaningful within a close group. That's also why there are so many dramas in High School. It's a lot of posturing for meaningless status with no real resolution.
Fast-forwarding to today we have a situation where the vast bulk of people have been cut loose from their troops and any attempt to hang old-fashioned values off a family tree that has been chopped to the ground is doomed to failure.
I applaud this initiative because too often attempts to cure similar problems take a top down approach. It's trying to fix a dying apple tree by shining the leaves. You need to get to the root of the matter and make sure these kids respect their elders or they'll never respect themselves or each other.
Thank you for giving your time to such a worthy project.
"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root." -- Henry David Thoreau.
DeleteThanks for commenting Anton!