Nina Dobrev - Nina Dobrev Hopes To Give Abused Girls Courage In New Movie

The Vampire Diaries beauty is abused by her boyfriend in the new coming of age film, and while Dobrev admits it was a struggle to tackle such a dark topic, she is glad she was able to draw attention to such a serious issue, which plagues many teenagers.

She tells Seventeen magazine, "It is a really heavy topic, and I hope my character gives girls some perspective. I think more than anything, girls allow abuse to happen because they're embarrassed it happened and that they allowed it to happen. They know its not right.

"Let's say a girl gets into an argument with her boyfriend, and he hits her... In the heat of the moment, she's shocked, but when she has time to cool down, she thinks, 'Well, I egged him on. It's kind of my fault'.

"She starts justifying why it happened and then making excuses for it. But there is no excuse for it. That's why it's so important to show girls that they can admit that it's not their fault."