Press Release: Louder Than Words
  

Leading Dating Abuse Prevention Organizations Launch National Partnership to End Teen Dating Abuse at Red Carpet Event in Hollywood

Featuring Special Guests Ashley Greene (Twilight, mark. Brand Ambassador), at “Louder Than Words” A Celebrity Musical Revue (Starts at 8 p.m. PST)

Los Angeles, California (February 1, 2012) – Louder Than Words, a star-studded musical revue sponsored by Break the Cycle and the National Dating Abuse Helpline, will bring together some of Hollywood’s brightest new talent and the business world’s most caring philanthropists to celebrate the launch of loveisrespect.org, the ultimate resource on healthy dating for teens and young adults nationwide.

Tonight’s VIP event also kicks off Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month with the announcement of the first in the nation texting serviceVice President Joseph Biden helped launch the new service by sending the first message. With the innovative structure of the new loveisrespect.org, teens and young adults can now get immediate help no matter where they are by texting “LOVEIS” to 22522.

Celebrating the new loveisrespect.org are the following scheduled performers and special appearances by young vocal stars from film and television: Ashley Greene (Twilight, mark. Brand Ambassador), Camille Winbush (Secret Life of an American Teenager), YouTube sensations VanJess and Micah McCain, and the premiere of IM5, a talented new boy band from showbiz vets Simon Fuller, Jamie King and Perez Hilton.

This unique national partnership to end dating abuse is turning heads in Washington and Los Angeles.  Corporations across  America are providing their support  to ending dating violence, including Health Care Service Corporation and its Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans in IllinoisNew Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, Liz Claiborne Inc., Verizon, Mark, a division of Avon Products and Hopeline from Verizon.

One in three teens will experience some form of abuse in their dating relationships and two thirds of those who do will not report it. Aiming to address and reduce this silent epidemic, loveisrespect.org provides help, information and services for teens and young adults throughout the nation.

About loveisrespect.org

Loveisrespect.org helps teens and young adults, ages 12-24 navigate the spectrum of healthy relationship behaviors. From the program, young people learn there are options, answers and support available to them every hour of every day. Break the Cycle and the National Dating Abuse Helpline designed the program specifically for young people, emphasizing confidentiality and trust to ensure teens nationwide feel safe and supported – online and off. Find out more at www.loveisrespect.org.

About Break the Cycle

Break the Cycle believes everyone has the right to safe and healthy relationships. As the leading voice for teens on the issue of dating violence, Break the Cycle advocates for policy and legislative changes that will better protect the rights and promote the health of teens nationwide. Engaging, educating and empowering youth through prevention and intervention programs, Break the Cycle helps young people identify and build healthy relationships. For more information, please explore www.breakthecycle.org or call 310.286.3383.

About the National Dating Abuse Helpline

The National Council on Family Violence launched the National Dating Abuse Helpline in 2007 with funding from Liz Claiborne, Inc. and serves as an innovative source of support and resources for teens and young adults involved in abusive dating relationships, their peers, parents, teachers and friends. The Helpline offers services to young people across the country who are experiencing dating abuse and are seeking to engage in healthy relationships by utilizing the technologies they use most often: web, chat and telephone. Young men and women can anonymously contact trained peer-to-peer advocates by telephone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 1-866-331-9474, chatting online at www.loveisrespect.org or, for the first time, texting “loveis” to 22522.