It may shock you to know that 3 out of every 10 teens have experienced violence in their dating relationships. It's an ugly truth that a large number of young adults are living in a twisted reality, where love and pain go hand in hand.
[Current stats about teen dating violence] It's rarely discussed but it's happening everywhere. In cities and in small towns, violence and abuse crosses all age, race and economic boundaries. In "Twisted Love: Dating Violence Exposed," Neve Campbell from the "Scream" movies and "Party of Five" joins In the Mix host Julio to expose and examine this crucial issue. [Cast your vote on the issue]

Two young survivors of abuse, Kelly and Aisha, talk about their relationships with their boyfriends and how the abuse started – one physical, the other emotional. A young couple, Mike and Tamara, talk about their abusive relationship, and Mike reveals why he sometimes hits Tamara. Two therapists explain why some young men abuse their partners.
[Get and give advice]

Kelly and Aisha describe how they sank deeper into their relationships, adjusting to the abuse and beginning to accept it as normal. A perpetual cycle of abuse, distress and reconciliation becomes the status quo of their relationships, a pattern they both become dependent upon...and eventually addicted to. Friends don't understand why it took years for both Kelly and Aisha to finally get out. Both girls mention their need for a father figure. Aisha finally calls it quits because of extreme violence and gets help through a teen theatre program. Kelly's decision is triggered by a theft. Therapists point out that it's often the woman who is questioned and blamed for staying in a relationship like this, not the male for his abusive behavior. [What's your point-of-view?]

The District Attorney of Westchester County outlines legal rights and shows what steps the system takes to protect victims. Teen members of the Dating Violence Intervention Program go to a Boston high school where they conduct a workshop on dating violence, exposing cultural and media stereotypes that contribute to abusive tendencies. Teens act out dating violence scenes and laud their program as a release for their feelings as well as a way to increase awareness. [Great resources] [Get help 24/7]

"Twisted Love: Dating Violence Exposed" is regularly re-broadcast on PBS affiliates across the country. Please check our schedule and station list for airtimes.

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