The Stories

Here are some testimonies from youth activists and how they became passionate about ending the cycle of relationship violence.

Rhonda's Story:

Angels Against Abuse has really changed my life. Project PAVE is all about making a difference in the community. Because of them I was able to join a group with purpose and meaning that has a passion for educating people but also reaching out to people in need. I'll never forget all the great times I've had and how much it has impacted my life!

After being in several abusive relationships I realized the importance of teen dating violence and how it affects everyone, not just a few. I think about how much I wish I had resources when I was going through hard times. I wish I had something like this club to educate me about it. So being apart of this gives me an oppurtunity to prevent teen dating violence and give someone the help that they need to grow in their lives.

Cristian's Story:

Many people have asked me why I'm so involved with Teen Dating Violence and Angels Against Abuse and I have many, many reasons. First, my parents were in an abusive relationship. My dad was a very nice guy, but sometimes he would hit my mom for what seemed the most insignificant reasons. Watching my mom getting abused would kill me. I could almost feel her pain. I wanted the abuse to stop. Everyone in my family was always concerned for my parents' relationship, but never did anything about it. Once, my dad came home extremely mad while my mom was on the phone with my auntie. My dad suddenly started hitting my mom and my auntie was hearing all the screaming on the other end of the line, but couldn't do anything about it. I think this has impacted my whole life in many ways, but the main one was not having a dad after the relationship ended. My dad abandoned my mom after a very long period of time; I was very sad, but at the same time I knew we were going to be a much happier family. It has also impacted my mom's life. My mom went through many hardships trying to raise her three kids. To this day, I wish I had a dad in my life because I know my life would be different. I believe that nobody should have to go through what my mom did because it hurts a lot more people than just the person being abused.