Domestic violence is a problem that largely remains a silent one. The abuse, whether physical or emotional, is usually committed behind closed doors and never spoken about. But 17-year-old Emily Martinez-Lanza, an intern at the City Clerk’s Office and Coral Gables resident, is fighting to give a voice to victims of domestic abuse and raise awareness through her own organization.
Martinez-Lanza is the founder and president of Teens Against Domestic Abuse (TADA). The 17-year-old Gulliver Preparatory School student started the first ever chapter of TADA in 2008 after an incident involving domestic violence affected her personally.
“The idea came after a family friend’s mother was murdered as a result of domestic abuse,” says Martinez-Lanza. “I was a little girl when this occurred, but as I got older I realized the scope of what had happened and I understood the tragic nature of her death.”
Martinez-Lanza began to research domestic violence and found that the problem was more common than she had ever imagined.
“The problem is widespread,” says Martinez-Lanza. “It is just as widespread as drugs and alcohol abuse, and yet it is not taught in schools. Without even knowing it, people may know someone who has been affected by domestic abuse. So the mission of TADA is twofold: To educate and, in turn, prevent abuse before it happens and stop the cycle before it begins, and also to fundraise and directly help the victims.”
Martinez-Lanza is also working on a legislative initiative that would require mandatory domestic abuse education in
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