Contest Rules - PLEASE READ ALL RULES VERY CAREFULLY!

 

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Contest Rules - PLEASE READ ALL RULES VERY CAREFULLY!

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Description:

This contest challenges teens to create an original video to promote awareness of dating violence/abuse among teens. Participants are encouraged to be creative!


**Video entries illustrating child abuse, bullying, cyberbullying, and adult domestic violence will NOT be accepted.**

Eligibility:

 This contest is open to all 6th - 12th-grade students living in Montgomery County. Students can enter the contest on their own or as a group; however, students may only participate in ONE entry. If a student in any way participates in more than one PSA video, all of those entries will be disqualified.

Entry Rules:

 • All submissions must have a title.
• All submissions must be in either English or Spanish.
• All submissions must be 50-70 seconds in length.
• All submissions must be uploaded to Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, or similar program.
• You will then have to provide us with the link via our Online Contest Submission Form (available at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/fjc/chooserespect/video.html)
• All submissions must address at least one of the following as it relates to dating violence:
• Physical abuse, emotional/verbal abuse, types of technological abuse, financial abuse or issues around consent).
• Examples of healthy behaviors in a relationship.
• Bystander intervention (how to step in and help a friend who is being abused).
• All submissions must include the Montgomery County Family Justice Center - 240-773-0444 as the resource where victims of domestic violence and dating abuse can get help.
• Submissions must reflect careful planning, thoughtful insight into the material presented, and accurate and thorough coverage of the content.
• Submissions may NOT include ANY copyrighted music, audio/video clips, characters, logos, or other protected material. Videos may include music only if it is considered “open source” music, or if it is composed and played by a student (or students) in the group.

Evaluation and Prizes:

 All submissions will be reviewed by a judging panel, with cash prizes going to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, and Honorable Mention prizes going to 4th and 5th place. A “Fan Favorite” will also be selected from the Top 5 via public vote during the month of March and will receive an additional prize. The winning videos will be announced at RespectFest on March 15, 2026. Winning students must participate in the Spring event.

Submission Deadline 

 Submission Deadline: Sunday, February 15, 2026



 

Past Winners

2025

1st Place- "Break the Silence"- Northwood High School 

2nd Place- "Know the Difference"- Montgomery Blair High School 

3rd Place- "Love Shouldn't Hurt"- Albert Einstein High School 

Honorable Mention & Fan Favorite- "Love is like Paper"- Eastern Middle School"

Honorable Mention- " What I Loved Most"- MLK Middle School 

2024

1st Place- "Warning Signs"- Ridgeview Middle School 
2nd Place- "Does your Partner Love You"- North Bethesda Middle School  
3rd Place- "Beyond the Surface:Understanding Dating Violence"-Winston Churchill High School 
Honorable Mention- "PSA with Blur (A Guide to Safe Dating)"- Damascus High School 

2023

1st Place- "Broken Pieces"- Poolesville High School
2nd Place- "If You Love Your Partner" - MLK Jr. Middle School
3rd Place-"It’s All Your Fault"- Northwest High School
Honorable Mention and Fan Favorite-"Lessons Learned"- Watkins Mill High School, Springbrook High School and Blake High School
Honorable Mention-"The Signs Were Always There"-Churchill High School

2021
1st Place and Fan Favorite - "Love Should Never Hurt" - Poolesville High School and Takoma Park Middle School
2nd Place - "Boys Will Be Boys" - Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School
3rd Place - "Guys Can Be Victims Too" - Eastern Middle School
Honorable Mention - "I Promise" - Paint Branch High School 
Honorable Mention - "False Reflections" - Rockville High School

2020
1st Place and Fan Favorite - "I'm the Victim" - Northwood High School 
2nd Place - "He Loves Me" - Roberto Clemente Middle School 
3rd Place - "Our Memories" - Richard Montgomery High School 
Honorable Mention - "Distraction" - Eastern Middle School 
Honorable Mention - "Excuses" - Poolesville High School

2019

1st Place - "Reflection" - Wootton High School

2nd Place -  "It Was All Her Fault" - Roberto Clemente Middle School

3rd Place -  "Dear Diary" - Roberto Clemente Middle School
Honorable Mention and Fan Favorite - "You are Not Alone!" - Winston Churchill High School
Honorable Mention - "There Is Another Side" - Northwood High School​

2018
1st Place - "Text Me Back, K?" - Wootton High School
2nd Place - "Triad" - Tryka Film Coalition
3rd Place - "Isolation" - Sherwood High School
Honorable Mention and Fan Favorite - "I'm Fine." - Richard Montgomery High School 
Honorable Mention - "Because He Told Me So" - The Girl Scouts

2017
​1st Place and Fan Favorite - "Because He Loves Me" - ​Northwest High School
Honorable Mention - This is My Story - Hallie Wells Middle School​

2016
1st Place - "I Came, I Saw, I Conquered" - Roberto Clemente Middle School
2nd Place - "Abuse Does Not Discriminate" - Sherwood High School
3rd Place - "Don't Be Silenced" - Forrest Oak Middle School
Honorable Mention - "Why Me?" - Gaithersburg High School
Honorable Mention - "Does He Really Like You?" - Wheaton High School

2015
1st Place - "Bruises" - James Hubert Blake High School
2nd Place - "Out of the Dark" - James Hubert Blake High School
3rd Place - "Locked" - James Hubert Blake High School
Honorable Mention - "It Has To End" - James Hubert Blake High School
Honorable Mention - "There's No Excuse" - Sherwood High School