Long Island Teenagers Raise Awareness For Teen Dating Violence With Short Film

At just under four minutes long, “The Signs” portrays a turbulent relationship between a young Long Island couple. The short film was created by a group of Long Island teenagers after they received a grant from the Center for Nonprofit Leadership at Adelphi University from The Allstate Foundation.
Ghetto Film School produced the short and representatives from local domestic violence agencies, including The Retreat and The Retreat Teen Leaders helped raise awareness for the project, which tackles the difficult subject of teen dating violence.

While the relationship between Nic and Amanda starts well, he begins to show the warning signs of abuse like possessiveness, extreme jealousy and mood swings. Not sure where to turn and still in love, Amanda decides to stick it out and starts to distance herself from friends. She finally decides to seek help after Nic posts a nude photo of her on Instagram.

The message of the film is clear, if you are in an abusive relationship there are organizations that can help. The short wraps up with the number to the New York State Domestic Hotline followed by a list of the warning signs of abuse.

If you are a victim of domestic violence seeking information contact the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence at 1-800-942-6906 or The Retreat, a Long Island domestic service agency, at 631-329-2200.

To watch “The Signs” visit vimeo.com.