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Huddled among their peers in a dark movie theater, high school seniors here got the first peek at a new DVD aimed at raising awareness of the violence that can plague teen relationships.
The 20 minute presentation, which premiered Oct. 26 at the Jordan Commons, was produced by the Sandy City Police Department and is being distributed to high schools throughout Utah. The message is simple: The way young people treat each other - especially in relationships - is a topic that needs a new set of rules.
Police Chief Steve Chapman said the DVD is meant to break the cycle of adult relationship abuse that has courts jammed with protective orders and domestic violence criminal cases.
"Our real goal is to make the teenage population and their parents aware there might be a problem. And if there is, we can get them some assistance and it won't cycle into married life," Chapman said.
The teen daters Bill of Rights - a 10-point how-to guideline of decency and respect - is highlighted in the production along with several scenarios depicting violence in teen dating.
Courtney James, a self-proclaimed survivor of an abusive teen relationship, acted in the film. She volunteered her time, like all the 30 or so actors involved in the $10,000 production, hoping the DVD can bring about change.
I hope this project goes national," said James, "because you just don't realize its happening until you are out of the relationship." James, a 20-year-old Riverton woman, said she spent most of her high school career in an abusive relationship with a boy who constantly put her down, kept tabs on her and restricted her freedom. While he spent nights out on the town with friends, she was ordered to stay home alone.
"Mine was mostly emotional abuse. I lost all contact with friends while he was able to go out and do whatever he wanted," James said.
With her identity concealed, James tells her story in the DVD, which was shot in December 2005 at various locations in Sandy, including Jordan High School and Union Middle School. It was written by Officer Ben Derrick and Sandy Police Children at Risk Intervention coordinator Barbara Higgins.
Derrick said his involvement with students as a resource officer at Valley High School has taught him that youth rarely tell their parents when problems arise among their peers. Without the feedback from a parent, violence can go unchecked and can often develop into domestic violence later in life.
"I just hope that people can get the message . . . it's OK to realize there are relationships with problems," Derrick said.
Since the production's release, the department has received requests for the DVD from professors, attorneys, counselors, teachers and parents in Utah and from other states, including Texas, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, California and Washington, Higgins said.
"We're pretty excited about it. It has been amazing to see the response," she said.
Also at the premiere was state Rep. David Litvack, a Democrat who is working to pass legislation that would extend protective orders to teens. An amended version of the 2006 House Bill 10 was presented to a legislative interim committee in June.
The DVD, he said, is a great tool for teachers, students and legislators.
"Sometimes, a protective order is too late. This can help prevent it, and it is important to be a part of that in any way," Litvack said.
Teen Dating Bill of Rights
* 1. I have the right to be treated with respect and not criticized.
* 2. I have the right to have a partner who values me for me, encourages me, and wants the best for me.
* 3. I have the right to be safe.
* 4. I have the right to maintain my ownbody, feelings, property, opinions, boundaries and privacy.
* 5. I have the right to be listened to seriously.
* 6. I have the right to disagree, assert myself respectfully and say "no" without feeling guilty.
* 7. I have the right to not be abused physically, emotionally or sexually.
* 8. I have the right to keep my relationships with friends and family.
* 9. I have the right to have my needs be as important as my partner's needs and not be my partner's property or servant.
* 10. I have the right to have a partner who gives as much to me as I give to him or her.
* 11. I have the right to decide how much time I want to spend with my partner.
* 12. I have the right to pay my own way.
* 13. I have the right to not take the responsibility for partner's behavior, choices, mistakes and any acts of violence.
* 14. I have the right to set my own priorities, make my own decisions and grow uniquely as an individual.
* 15. I have the right to fall out of love or leave any relationship.
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