New “Love Is Not Abuse” App for iPhone Educates Parents

Did you know:

• One in four teens in a relationship (25%) say they have been called names, harassed, or put down by their partner through cellphones & texting. (Liz Claiborne Inc. and National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline study on tween & teen dating abuse conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited, February 2008)

• 3 out of 10 young people have sent or received nude messages on their cell or online, and 61% who have “sexted” report being pressured to do so at least once. (MTV and Associated Press Survey, December 2009)

Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV) Member Liz Claiborne’s Love is Not Abuse program
has just released a come out with a new “Love Is Not Abuse” iPhone application. It allows parents to experience firsthand digitally abusive behaviors in teen relationships.

The new iPhone app is designed to teach parents – in a very real way – about the dangers of teen dating abuse and provides a dramatic demonstration of how technology can be used to commit abuse. Over the course of the experience, text messages, emails and phone calls are received real-time, mimicking the controlling, abusive behaviors teens might face in their relationships.

The impact is immediate and important: empowering parents to talk to their kids.

The app also includes valuable information for parents: facts on dating abuse, warning signs, tips on how to talk to teens, and immediate, concrete steps to take if they suspect their child is involved in an abusive relationship.

It also includes a PSA from Tim Gunn and Judge Jeanine Pirro.

You can view the “Love Is Not Abuse” iPhone App trailer at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-MueVK0L8k.

Download the app — free of charge — at the iTunes App Store (search word “LINA”).

(We checked it out here at CAEPV and it is very powerful. The simulator is a very realistic representation of digital abuse behavior.)

Kim Wells is solely responsible for the opinions expressed above. These opinions do not necessarily reflect those of WJBC, Radio Bloomington or Townsquare Media staff or management.

Kim Wells is the Executive Director of the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence.  The Alliance is a leading force in the fight against domestic violence, and is the only national organization of its kind founded by business leaders and focused on the workplace. Since 1995, the Alliance has brought together dozens of progressive companies who exchange information, collaborate on projects, and use their influence to instigate change.

Kim is former adjunct faculty Illinois State University in Normal, IL, and Heartland Community College in Bloomington, IL, and continues to guest lecture at both institutions. She is a graduate of the LEADERSHIP AMERICA 1999 American Issues Forum.