The Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) recently developed an advertising campaign called That's Not Cool, aimed at preventing digital teen dating violence through online, television, and radio components, as well as posters for schools and malls. The campaign was officially kicked off at a 4 February 2009 congressional briefing sponsored by Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) and Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY). The briefing was held during the 2009 National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week and brought together a number of experts to discuss ways to combat teen dating violence. The That's Not Cool campaign seeks to raise dating violence awareness and offer help to teens who may be experiencing abuse through online or cellular forms of communication. Research indicates that significant numbers of teens have been pressured, abused, or harassed through digital technologies, such as email, text messaging, and social networking accounts. However, this type of abuse can sometimes be difficult to identify as such. The supporters of That's Not Cool hope that the campaign will encourage teens to think about just what types of behavior are acceptable in the ever-expanding realm of digital communication.
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Compiled from: Family Violence Prevention Fund, Helping Teens Draw Their 'Digital Line' (February 2009).