My Little Soap Box

If I was on the TV reality show Celebrity Apprentice, my charity would probably be one that fights teen violence and bullying. Whether its AIDS awareness, gay rights, cancer research or helping the homeless... we all have an issue we're willing to get on a soap box for. This is mine. I've already served up one blog entry about the need for teens to establish a "digital line" and I'm sure similar issues concerning this broad topic will continue to creep in here.


If you've been living underneath a rock, you may not have heard about the altercation between entertainers Chris Brown and Rihanna. As this story developed, I felt the need more and more to write a blog about the situation.


What first made me want to add my two cents about the situation was the out pore of SUPPORT for Brown and his actions against Rihanna. According to the LA Police Department Report, Brown allegedly choked, bit and repeatedly punched Rihanna on the eve of the Grammy's. Recently, the Boston Public Health Commission released survey results from 200 teenagers. 46% of them said Rihanna was responsible for what happened to her. The idea that so many young people in this country think there is any reason for a man to choke, bite, punch and threaten another human being, let alone a woman is shocking and disgusting. In a world where 1 in 4 teens experiences some kind of sexual, verbal, emotional, or physical abuse, parents and youth leaders need to ask themselves where they've gone wrong.


Now everyone, from Oprah to Donald Trump, is weighing in. The general consensus: it's time to open up a dialogue about teen violence. And I've found a great web site that does just that...

It's called DoSomething.org. This site helps teens take a stand about a wide range of issues, including violence and bullying. In addition to showing teens 10 ways they can take a stand against teen violence and providing resources on how to have a healthy relationship, the site has also sponsored a video that uses the LAPD Police Report to re-enact what exactly happened between Rihanna and Chris Brown. I believe this video shows teens this was truly a horrible act and something no one deserves. I won't post the video here because of its graphic nature, but if you are so inclined, you can view it here.

Other notable web sites that help end dating violence and violence against women:

Break The Cycle

UNITE To End Violence Against Women
VDAY