Love - Teen Dating Abuse

Teen Dating Abuse

by Hester Hampton

check out her blog at

www.abuserecoveryoutreach.blogspot.com

Did you know that Teen Dating Abuse is one of the most unreported and undocumented violent crimes?

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, and Bureau of Justice Statistics provided:  "Amongst female victims of intimate partner violence, a current or former boyfriend or girlfriend victimized 94% of those between the ages of 16-19."

Approximately 1 in every 5 female high school students reported being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner.  Females ages 16-24 are the most vulnerable to intimate partner violence than any other age group - at a rate almost triple the national average.  Why is this?

Music, videos, television and the media play important roles in the lives of teenagers.  Love is no longer a strong emotion shared between two people.  It is a temporary fix built on lust and degradation, particularly, those of our young women.

Further, young women equate love with sex, violence and designer name brands, instead of mutual love and respect, which are the two most prominent factors in any relationship (both young and old).  Previously, I spoke to a group of young ladies ranging in ages 12 to 14 at a local middle school in the area where I live.  Prior to the meeting, I polled each young lady and asked her thoughts regarding the incident surrounding Rhianna and Chris Brown.  The results of the poll revealed, over ninety-five (95) percent of the girls in the classroom believed Rhianna deserved to be hit by Chris.

I hear it all started over Rhianna reading his cell phone - hum.

Chris' status as an entertainer and the fact he's "cute" suggested to the young girls that Rhianna deserved to be physically assaulted by the multi-talented young man.  This was the mindset of over forty girls polled.  When asked if this was the first time he'd struck her, the young ladies all agreed it was more than likely that he'd hit her before.  But, all the young ladies contended the abuse was the fault of Rhianna and not Chris:

"She should have kept her mouth shut.  She ain't nothing but a slut, anyway.  Besides, he was too fine to be with her, anyway.  Plus, I heard she was sleeping with Jay-Z".

There's that cell phone again!

Ladies, remember, love is sweet, generous and kind.  It is never demeaning, hurtful or degrading.  It is a feeling shared by two people, who compliment each other.  When you're sad, love is sad.  When you're happy, love is happy.  It wants what is best for you and not what's best for it.  It is mutual emotions that once felt will soar you higher than you could ever imagine or believe.  Love won't ball its fist to strike at you, but it will hold out it hands to comfort you.

Post a comment and share your thoughts!

A woman's right to vote

November 2nd don't forget to vote!

1920 women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

*Women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking to vote.

*And by the end of the night, they were barely alive.  Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'

*Available on Netflix, Iron Jawed Angels, is a graphic depiction of the battle women waged so that women could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have a say.

*Pass this on to all the women you know.  Get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by very courageous women of our past.  Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote.

Breast Cancer Awareness

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October),

I would like to share a poem by a survivor!

“I Know the Lord and He Loves Me”

by Karen Bishop Jackson

Had my yearly mammography.

Couldn’t wait to see, what the results would be.

Thanked the Lord for loving me.

The result wasn’t what I hoped it would be.

But I know the Lord and He loves me. 

How many times did the doctor’s plan on cutting me?

It really didn’t matter, for I know the Lord and He loves me.

How many times did I hear someone say,

“don’t worry baby, you will be okay”?

But whatever you do, don’t forget to pray.

How many times did I hear someone say,

don’t worry “Karen,” you will be okay?

But whatever you do don’t forget to pray.

Unless you’ve been diagnosed, then it was easy for you to say.

I know the Lord loves me, but I still had to pray.

8 treatments of chemo then I could go.

Radiation 6 weeks every day, burning my skin killing me slow.

The good news was, the Lord never let me go. 

17 treatments of a drug called Herceptin.

If it wasn’t for the Lord, I wouldn’t have ever accepted.

I woke up one morning and had quite a scare.

What in the hell happened to my got dam hair?

I looked in the mirror and saw an empty space.

I said to myself, my eyebrows was once in that space.

But, I kept my head up.

For I could have been, in what they call a better place.

Unless you’ve been diagnosed, then how could you know?

How I was feeling, hell I didn’t even know.

But, I know the Lord and He loves me.

Through it all my husband and child were praying for me.

I know the Lord and He loves me.

My husband loves me unconditionally, for he proved his love and stood by me.

Such sad eyes watching the chemo and radiation hurting me.

Being strong, telling me to hold on.

And if we pray, it will make our love grow stronger each day.

Family and friends praying for me.

Asking the Lord to remove the cancer from me.

Dear Lord, I prayed for you to take the cancer away.

Thank you Lord for loving me.

For now, I am cancer free.

Thank you Lord for loving me.

Do you or someone you know have cancer?

Post a comment and let us know what you're going through.

What's up with Rapp?

While watching the BET Hip Hop Awards the other night, Mike Epps said something that caught my attention.  He said, "we have to start having fun again."

Now Mike Epps is probably somewhere close in age with me, so I could definitely understand what he was talking about.  Back in the day, listening to Rapp was fun.  With songs like, King of Rock, You've Got To Chill, Friends by Whodini, My Radio by LL, I Wanna Rock Right Now, the list is endless - but the lyrics made sense.  Now the songs are about, money, getting high, how many women they can mack on and how 'not' to respect anyone!  And really shoot em - kill em and go to jail!

For my blog's song of the week, I used Rapper's Delight.  When Rapper's Delight first came out, everyone loved it.  But I could remember the folks from New York saying that it was fake Rapp.  The SugarHill Gang's style was nowhere near what Rapp stood for.  So is what we are listening to today what Rapp stands for? 

I would hope that with all of the 'money' that these young men are suppose to be making the songs would be more like, I'm the King of Rock Records, or With all these stacks, I Just Chill! 

But it's not like that - not to me at least.  Seems like the fellas and women are either smokin', illn' or willn' & dealn'.  Now-a-days instead of saying, "I would like to thank God..." they are saying, "Free Wheezy!"  For real?

I'm like Mike Epps, let's bring the fun back!

What do you think?  Post a comment.

Rapper's Delight

The SugarHill Gang

I said a hip hop the hippie to the hippie
to the hip hip hop, a you dont stop
the rock it to the bang bang boogie say up jumped the boogie
to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat

Now what you hear is not a test--i'm rappin to the beat
and me, the groove, and my friends are gonna try to move your feet
see i am wonder Mike and I'd like to say hello
to the black, to the white, the red, and the brown, the purple and yellow
but first i gotta bang bang the boogie to the boogie
say up jump the boogie to the bang bang boogie
let's rock, you dont stop

rock the riddle that will make your body rock
well so far you've heard my voice but I brought two friends along
and next on the mike is my man Hank
come on, Hank, sing that song

Check it out, i'm the c-a-s-an-the-o-v-a
and the rest is f-l-y
ya see I go by the code of the doctor of the mix
and these reasons i'll tell ya why
ya see i'm six foot one and i'm tons of fun
and i dress to a T
ya see i got more clothes than Muhammad Ali and I dress so viciously
I got bodyguards, I got two big cars
that definitely aint the wack
I got a lincoln continental and a sunroof cadillac
so after school, I take a dip in the pool
which really is on the wall
I got a color tv so I can see
the Knicks play basketball
hear me talkin bout checkbooks, credit cards
more money than a sucker could ever spend
but I wouldnt give a sucker or a bum from the rucker
not a dime til I made it again
ya go hotel motel whatcha gonna do today (say what)
ya say im gonna get a fly girl gonna get some spankin
drive off in a def oj
everybody go, hotel motel Holiday Inn
say if your girl starts actin up, then you take her friend
Master Gee, am I mellow
its on you so what you gonna do
the knicks play basketball
hear me talkin bout checkbooks, credit cards
more money than a sucker could ever spend
but i wouldnt give a sucker or a bum from the rucker
not a dime til i made it again
ya go hotel motel whatcha gonna do today (say what)
ya say im gonna get a fly girl gonna get some spankin
drive off in a def oj
everybody go, hotel motel holiday inn
say if your girl starts actin up, then you take her friend
master gee, am I mellow
its on you so what you gonna do

YOU KNOW THE REST!!!!