NATIONAL INITIATIVE INSPIRES PARENTS TO TALK TO TEENS ABOUT HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

Celebrities, parents, advocates, survivors, corporations and non-profits join forces to host conversations about healthy relationships across the country for “NO MORE: Silence It’s Time To Talk Day”

Presented by Mary Kay and Break the Cycle’s Love Is Not Abuse campaign in partnership with Verizon Wireless

NEW YORK (February 4, 2014) – Break the Cycle, a leading national organization specializing in teen dating abuse prevention, today launched a first-of-its-kind initiative to get parents talking to their children about healthy dating and relationships as a way to prevent teen dating abuse. Called NO MORE Silence: It’s Time To Talk Day, the initiative is a national day of conversation and awareness presented by Mary Kay and Break the Cycle in partnership with Verizon Wireless. On this day thousands of parents nationwide have pledged to start a conversation with their children about this important topic.

Encouraging and supporting Break the Cycle during NO MORE: Silence It’s Time To Talk Day are hundreds of advocates including survivors of teen dating violence; parents who have lost children to dating abuse; celebrities such as Olympic Gold Medalist and Mary Kay Cause Champion Jordyn Wieber and actor, producer and Verizon’s Potential of Us Influencer Morris Chestnut; corporate leaders and violence prevention organizations.

“Talking with your teen about the importance of a healthy dating relationship could save their life,” said Darlene Kiyan, Executive Director of Break the Cycle. “It’s our hope that by removing the awkward feelings between parents and teens about this topic, we’ll be able to provide education and support for young people and stop the cycle of abuse before it starts.”

Research shows that one in three teens will be abused by a dating partner. Despite the pervasiveness of this problem, few parents are discussing the topic with their children. In fact, according to recent research, three out of four parents have never had a conversation about domestic violence with their children.

“Mary Kay believes everyone deserves a safe and healthy relationship,” said Jill Wedding, Director of Marketing for Mary Kay Inc. “As a mother of a teenage daughter, I know personally how important it is to give parents and teens the support they need through programs like ‘It’s Time to Talk Day.’ By understanding what healthy dating relationships should look like, we are helping end dating violence as part of Mary Kay’s ongoing commitment to build awareness around dating abuse.”

Through It’s Time To Talk Day, Break the Cycle and its partners aim to equip parents nationwide with the tools and resources they need to start having these vital conversations with their children. “It’s Time to Talk Day provided parents with an opportunity to learn about the resources available, like the One Love Foundation’s My Plan app and the It’s Time to Talk Day toolkit,” said Elva Lima, executive director of community relations for Verizon Wireless. “Verizon Wireless is committed to leveraging its resources and technology to help solve for this critical social issue,” said Elva Lima, executive director of community relations.

You can get involved by:

  • Learning More: Visit itstimetotalkday.org to take the pledge to talk to your teen, get tips and tools to get the conversation started and learn how you can stay involved year round.
  • Taking Action February 4th:Visit the It’s Time To Talk Day Activity Map and attend one of these dynamic conversation events. If you’re in New York, join Olympic Gold Medalist Jordyn Wieber, her mother, actor Morris Chestnut and more at Planet Hollywood in Times Square.
  • Joining the Nation-wide Coalition: Make this issue a priority year-round by joining Break the Cycle’s Love Is Not Abuse Coalition. As a member, you will network with other like-minded individuals and learn how to make a difference in your community.
  • Donating a Phone:Take your no-longer used wireless phone and accessories to your local Verizon Wireless store. Your donation will support survivors and victims of domestic violence
  • Getting Help: If you or someone you know has a question about their relationship, just text “loveis” to 22522. You will be immediately connected to a trained, Loveisrespect advocate. Mary Kay is the lead sponsor of this first-of-its-kind text line.

Additional thanks goes to The MOMS, Denise Albert and Melissa Musen Gerstein; Cross River Network; PVBLIC Foundation; High School of Fashion Industries; STEPS to End Family Violence, A Program of the Edwin Gould Services for Children and Families; Relationship Abuse Prevention Program (RAPP), the National Domestic Violence Hotline and Planet Hollywood.

More information about NO MORE Silence: It’s Time To Talk Day can be found at www.itstimetotalkday.org

About Break the Cycle

Break the Cycle believes everyone has the right to safe and healthy relationships. As the leading voice for teens and 20-somethings on the issue of dating violence, Break the Cycle inspires and supports young people to build healthy relationships and create a culture without abuse. We work collaboratively, providing loveisrespect in partnership with the National Domestic Violence Hotline to support young people through every stage of their dating lives. For more information, please visit breakthecycle.org.

About Mary Kay

Irresistible products. Positive community impact. Rewarding opportunity. For 50 years, Mary Kay has offered it all. With 3 million Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants and $3.5 billion in global annual wholesale sales, Mary Kay is a top beauty brand and direct seller in more than 35 markets around the world. To learn more or to locate a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant in your area, please visit marykay.com.

About NO MORE

NO MORE is a new unifying symbol designed to galvanize greater awareness and action to end domestic violence and sexual assault. Supported by major organizations working to address these urgent issues, NO MORE is gaining support with Americans nationwide, sparking new conversations about these problems and moving this cause higher on the public agenda. For more information on NO MORE, to get involved or to get the symbol, visit www.nomore.org.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE and 3G networks. The company serves 102.8 million retail customers, including 96.8 million retail postpaid customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 72,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. For the latest news and updates about Verizon Wireless, visit our News Center at news.verizonwireless.com or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/VZWNews.