Some of these decisions may involve dating. And while dating can be one of the best things about being a teenager, it brings a host of new feelings and experiences—not all of them good.

In fact, you or your friends may be dating someone who is overly possessive, controlling or critical. These can be warning signs of potential abuse. A survey conducted this spring showed that 31% of teens ages 13-17 reported they or a friend experienced dating violence.

That's why we worked with teens around the country to write this handbook. Dating violence is a tough subject to talk about, and we want to offer you guidance on how to recognize it, how to talk about it and where to go for help. Dating violence is also often seen as a "women's" issue, so many young men may not feel comfortable dealing with it. We've tried to help change this by providing information for both young women and young men.

If you're in a violent dating relationship, or if you're worried about a friend, this handbook is a good place to start finding solutions. It tells the story of Angela and Joe, a fictional teenage couple in a violent relationship, and the friends who care about them. We hope it will raise awareness and help us all work together to create a society intolerant of abuse.

Paul R. Charron is the chairman and CEO of Liz Claiborne Inc., a fashion apparel and accessories company that has been raising awareness and providing educational materials about domestic violence since 1991. This handbook is part of the company's effort to draw attention to the issue of dating violence among teens.
Jackson Katz founded the multiracial, mixed-gender Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) Program at Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society. He is also an author, speaker and filmmaker, and released the educational film Tough Guise in 1999.
Rosalind Wiseman is a co-founder of the Empower Program, a non-profit organization that empowers youth to stop the culture of violence. Ms. Wiseman has written a book and several articles on both violence against women and girls' self-esteem. She speaks throughout the country and has been featured in national print and broadcast media.