Mother’s Day concert organized to benefit programs for teens in violent relationships

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Similar to a math problem or a science project, teens struggle to find the answers to their dating dilemmas.

But unlike in their academic life, not getting the correct answers and advice to their love life could potentially cause harm or even the loss of their life.

Define True Love is a new campaign to stop teen violence and it’s sponsored by Verizon Wireless.

Through their bilingual Web site www.definetruelove.com, Verizon is hoping to help teens and their parents figure out what true love is and most important, what it isn’t.

“Love is not making you cut ties with all of your friends; saying yes to things you really don’t feel comfortable with or taking hits,” said Miguel Bassail, multicultural marketing manager at Verizon. “We created this Web site to give teens information about what a real healthy, loving relationship is.”

The campaign began two months ago in conjunction with HopeLine – which collects and sells donated cell phones to benefit domestic violence organizations.

And their annual Mother’s Day concert, benefits the non-profit organization Mujeres Latinas en Accion.

“We see girls as young as 12 years old dealing with abuse in a relationship,” said Ana Soto, leadership advocate of Mujeres Latinas en Accion. “It’s important to reach them when they’re young. The younger the better.”

Soto facilitates the organization’s mother/daughter leadership group where moms and their teens get together once-a-week for 15 weeks to discuss healthy relationships and create a dialogue between mothers and daughters.

“Sometimes it’s difficult for daughters to confide in their moms because they think they won’t understand. This is especially true for girls that were born here that have parents that were born in other countries,” Soto said.

In the program, daughters and mothers can find commonalities between them and understand each other despite the age and cultural differences that sometimes keeps them apart.

Events such as this year’s Mother’s Day concert on May 8, is what helps these programs continue.

“The abuse is the same for all races but the help in Spanish is limited,” Soto said. “We need to change that.”

The organization’s programs and staff are all bilingual and will help anyone regardless of their race and gender.

Because both Verizon Wireless and Mujeres Latinas en Accion are focusing on abuse amongst teens, this year’s concert will benefit further research and projects geared towards violence that affects the youth.

“We want to continue the education of abuse in teen relationships and lower the statistics,” Soto said.

According to the Define True Love Web site, 1 out of every 4 teens (25%) report experiencing verbal, physical, emotional or sexual abuse during a dating relationship. And nearly 80% of girls who have been physically abused in their dating relationships continue to date their abusers.

“The youth shouldn’t feel alone and they should never feel like they have to be in a relationship that hurts,” Bassail said.