Speaking out against dating violence can take many forms, from putting up posters, distributing flyers or simply telling a friend that abuse is never okay. But speaking out can also involve more creative ways of sharing your message.

Students at Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles, Jennifer Castillo and Alinne Ortiz, created their very own Public Service Announcement to help spread awareness about dating violence. The PSA was an assignment for their film class, where they were given the freedom to select the issue and the nonprofit they wanted to feature. Jennifer summarized their choice of Break the Cycle in the following:

“After researching Break the Cycle I realized that this was an amazing opportunity to bring younger audiences to research and learn about dating abuse. I myself learned much through this project. I don’t ever recall really seeing how dating abuse affects young people. In fact, I had the mentality that if it looked or felt wrong then [why not] just get away from the situation? But it doesn’t really work like that. Young people need to be reached out to through preventive education similar to drug and sex education. If we can teach young people to avoid or how to get help if in abusive relationships, we can put an end to the violence in relationships and the results that come from dating abuse. I now have the hope that through education we can shape people’s knowledge about what a healthy relationship actually is.”

Whether you do it for a class or simply take it upon yourself to speak out against dating violence, big or small your actions can make a big difference—find your voice.

Check out the PSA and visit our Take Action page to find out about other ways YOU can take a stand against dating violence!