Educational Media Reviews Online

Created to help young people understand the types of abuse that can occur in dating and in maintaining relationships, this short informative film uses illustrative vignettes through the experiences of four girls and one boy to discuss dating violence and highlight behaviors that are abusive. The discussions by the youth are dramatic and compelling and allow the viewer to enter an arena that may sometimes be a silent one for those involved. The actors in the recreated scenes provide the context for real life situations.

The film discusses specific types of dating abuse including physical, emotional and verbal, sexual, and digital and cyber abuse. Along with the youth impressions, the film includes commentary from Dr. Shanti Kukarni, Associate Professor of Social Work and consultant, Melissa Siegel, Director of Lovespeaksout.com. Their professional discussion gives information about specific behaviors associated with each type of abuse and outlines warning signs that are associated with the specific types of abuse. The vignettes interspersed with the professional comments will not only capture the interest of youth but will also be informative to parents and teachers as they work to guide and direct conversation about the topic. The viewer will also learn about abusive behaviors and will realize that healthy relationships include respect, trust, and good communication. The DVD includes a teacher’s resource book available as a pdf file with student activities, fact sheets, and pre/post tests. Although promoted by the distributor for audiences from Grade 7-College, it seems more appropriate for high school and college students who may be actively dating. With that said, it is still instructive for the middle/junior high grades 7-8 as long as teachers engage in interactive discussion with them. Recommended for middle, junior and high school libraries as well as public and university library collections in social work, education, and psychology.