The Joliet Job Corps Center’s female students gathered in the gym on March 10 to participate in an event focusing on healthy relationships.

The main question of the event was, “Can anyone identify the different types of abuse?”

Research shows that people who have experienced any form of abuse — mental, spiritual, economical, physical, emotional, or sexual — are more likely to display undesired behavior. And abuse is one of the leading causes of violence.

During the Y2Y event, the singer Tina Turner’s life story was used to illustrate how women can overcome abuse. Several of the students were familiar with Ms. Turner’s history as a victim of abuse, and others had not heard it.
After the Power Point presentation, there was an “icebreaker” exercise intended to show the female students that they might have experienced similar situations. At the conclusion of the event, the stu-dents signed Y2Y pledge cards, and they received T-shirts and wrist bands.