Gaming Against Violence: A Grassroots Approach to Teen Dating Violence

Games Health J. 2014 Aug;3(4):198-201. doi: 10.1089/g4h.2014.0010. Epub 2014 May 21.

Abstract

Teen dating violence is a pervasive problem that affects millions of adolescents worldwide. Although there have been various approaches to addressing this problem, using videogames had not been employed before 2008, when Jennifer Ann's Group, an Atlanta, GA-based nonprofit organization, created an annual competition. The Life.Love. Game Design Challenge rewards game developers for creating videogames about teen dating violence without using any violence in the games themselves. The resulting videogames have increased awareness about teen dating violence and provided educational information to assist adolescents, parents, and teachers in identifying abusive relationships.