Findings

The Congress finds as follows:(1)Girls and women between the ages of 16 and 24 are the most vulnerable to domestic violence, experiencing the highest per capita rates of non-fatal intimate partner violence.(2)One-third of teens report experiencing some kind of abuse in their romantic relationships, including verbal and emotional abuse.(3)Approximately 1 in 5 adolescent girls report being physically or sexually hurt by a dating partner.(4)Forty percent of teenage girls ages 14 to 17 report knowing someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend.(5)Twenty-six percent of girls in grades 9 to 12 have been the victim of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or date rape.(6)Teenagers who are the victims of dating violence often do not know the legal actions they can take to put an end to the violence they are experiencing. These teenagers often do not inquire into legal actions they can take because of the perceived stigma of dating violence.(7)The cost of intimate partner violence annually exceeds $5.8 billion, including $4.1 billion in direct health care expenses.(8)Domestic violence has been estimated to cost employers in the United States up to $13 billion each year.(9)In the United States, rape is the most costly crime to its victims, totaling $127 billion a year, including medical costs, lost earnings, pain, suffering, and lost quality of life

Inclusion in domestic violence education programs of information on legal rights available to teenage victims of dating violence

Paragraph (2) of section 5571(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7275(c)) is amended—(1)by striking

and are designed

and inserting

, are designed

; and(2)by inserting

, and include information specific to the State involved regarding the legal rights available to teenage victims of dating violence

before the period.