Disturbing features

Vox ran several pieces on domestic violence in this issue, in honor of Domestic Violence Month. The centerpiece was this week's feature, which was about abusive teen/dating relationships. This is an intense and hard topic to cover, but the writer did it well. I thought she captured the heart of the issue of teen dating violence well, which is that people generally ignore it. Of course, the author didn't say this, but it was clear enough from the people she talked to. It's hard or impossible not to take sides in this issue. People under 18 are not allowed to have restraining orders. This is heartbreaking, because, while 20 percent of teenagers have admitted to being in an abusive relationship, 50 to 80 percent say they know someone in one. The discrepancy makes it clear that not enough is being done. These stats were quoted in the story. The writer did a lot of research, and it's clear in the finished product. It disturbs me to see how few resources there are for teens, but the story presented them, even while showing that the legal system may not be the best way to go for teenagers. The photo illustrations used for the feature were appropriate as well. Violence is something that is hard to display visually in a tasteful way. The hand grasping the wrist wearing a withering rose corsage and a gold class ring were a good way to depict something that should not exist.