Did you know that each year 1 in 4 teens reports verbal, physical, emotional or sexual abuse from a dating partner? Sadly, many teens mistake dating violence for behavior they think is normal in a relationship. But there’s nothing normal about abuse.

JenniferAnn.org has launched the 2009 Life. Love. Game Design Challenge to raise awareness about teen dating violence. Are you an an aspiring game designer? Then use your skills to enter the contest. Check out last year’s grand-prize winner, and see if you can beat the game!

Barack Obama said a few times during his campaign that we need to “put the video games away.” But what if playing a video game could actually improve education and prevent the spread of AIDS?

There’s a new multi-player PC game being launched in Kenya called Pamoja Mtaani, which means “together in the hood” in Swahili. Players follow the stories of five main characters. And through puzzles, missions and mini-games, they learn about behaviors that reduce the risk of getting HIV, like proper condom use and getting tested. The game creators even included local hip-hop music, celebrities and fashion to make the experience feel authentic to Kenyan teens. Click the image below to check out video trailers that introduce the game’s characters.

The idea of playing a video game to learn about HIV/AIDS sounds pretty cool. Do you think your sex ed classes would be more fun if you could learn about topics like pregnancy and STDs by playing video games?