Behind the Valentine's Day theme "Love Shouldn't Hurt," Interval House of Hartford is promoting its new multimedia campaign about teen dating violence.
"33% of adolescents experience teen dating violence in the form of physical, verbal, emotional, psychological abuse," says Amanda Delaura, Director of Advancement at Interval House. "We also know that only a third of those who are abused actually ever confide in anyone, whether it be a friend or an adult."
The campaign uses comic strip-style bookmarks and short videos produced by Joe Young Entertainment of Hartford. The videos are available on social media @IntervalHouseCT on Facebook and Instagram.
"To me, the comic art and the video is a 'trojan horse' to try to reach people," says producer and artist Joe Young. "You have to get them interested, then you drop the message."
That message is a powerful one: teen dating violence is a bigger problem than you think. Victims should report it, and others should look for the warning signs.
The Interval House hotline is (860) 838-8467.