Huffington Post 11/29/11: Paul Robinson: Start the Conversation: Ending Teen Dating Violence. Let's imagine for a moment that a student walks into their first day of algebra class, takes a seat and is immediately presented with the final exam. It's safe to assume the student would probably fail the test. After all, how can you expect someone to succeed in a subject they've never been taught? Yet when it comes to dating relationships, we often expect young people to have all the answers without ever studying the subject. If we want to end teen dating violence, we need to have more involved conversations with our young people around the topic of dating relationships.

Wayland Patch 8/23/11: Malcolm Astley: Hoping for Justice, Promotion of Healthy Relationships. Malcolm Astley read a brief statement on behalf of he and Lauren Astley’s mother, Mary Dunne, following the Aug. 23 arraignment of Nathaniel Fujita, the man accused of killing their daughter on July 3 in Wayland. As he has consistently done throughout the seven weeks since his daughter was murdered, Astley asserted his hope that Lauren’s death could serve as a means to preventing such tragedy from happening in the future.

WBUR 7/21/11: Breakup Summit Teaches Teens To Be Thoughtful. The recent murder of a Wayland High School graduate has drawn attention to teen dating violence. According to the state Department of Health, one in five teens will experience some kind of dating violence. Parents often don’t know how to talk to their kids about relationships, so the city of Boston’s Public Health Department has stepped in. The department held its second annual Breakup Summit Wednesday, drawing nearly 250 teens and adults from around the state.

Wayland Patch 7/21/11: Warning Signs of Teen Dating Violence.When most people think of domestic violence we typically envision adults, not young people, but there is growing concern among our teens regarding this issue. When I was in labor, a nurse took me aside and asked me if I was afraid at home. She explained it was standard procedure to ask moms this question when admitted to the maternity floor. Thankfully, I was not afraid … but many women are. I continue to see an effort to reach out to those who live with violence every day through tear sheets at my doctor’s office, on the back of bathroom stall doors, at my church, all hoping that women will seek the help they need by making contacts readily available. But what about teens? It’s hard enough for a grown woman to seek help when in an abusive relationship so how much harder must it be for young people who are little more than kids?

Boston Globe 7/21/11: Teens confront new generation of challenges in breaking up. Hacking into an ex-girlfriend’s Facebook account to read private conversations. Sending threatening text messages that end with, "Or else." Flirting with an ex-boyfriend’s buddies on Twitter. Faltering relationships and messy breakups can escalate into public arguments, defamation on social networks, and worse, Massachusetts teenagers said yesterday during a Boston Public Health Commission conference at Northeastern University that focused on the challenges and perils of breakups in the social media age. They say rapid-fire rumors in text messages and trash talk on Facebook and Twitter make the dating scene all the more baffling for many young people. "Now more than ever, even since five years ago, teens have a broader landscape to navigate when they start dating," said Casey Corcoran, the conference director and director of Start Strong Initiative, which encourages healthy teenage relationships. "Instead of your friends gossiping at school, you have thousands of kids who are up in your business." Discussions about healthy adolescent relationships have been brought into sharp focus after the body of recent Wayland High School graduate Lauren Astley was found in a swamp and her on-again, off-again boyfriend was charged with murder.

Wayland Town Crier 7/19/11: Wayland murder could be a lesson for teens, schools – Wayland, MA – Wicked Local Wayland. The murder of Wayland teenager Lauren Astley is hitting home for school administrators in nearby districts, some of whom say the slaying will bring more attention to dating violence, much like a South Hadley teen's suicide a year ago did for bullying.

NPR 7/14/11: How To Help Teens Recognize Dating Violence. Teenagers are often poorly equipped to deal with violence in romantic relationships. Many teens become overwhelmed…