III 109th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 612 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 14, 2006 Mr. Crapo (for himself, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Lieberman, Ms. Murkowski, and Mr. Menendez) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Designating the week of February 5 through February 9, 2007, as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week.

Whereas 1 in 3 female teens in a dating relationship have feared for their physical safety; Whereas 1 in 2 teens in serious relationships have compromised their beliefs to please their partner; Whereas nearly 1 in 5 teens who have been in a serious relationship said their boyfriend or girlfriend would threaten to hurt themselves or their partner if there was a breakup; Whereas 1 in 5 teens in a serious relationship report they have been hit, slapped, or pushed by a partner; Whereas more than 1 in 4 teens have been in a relationship where their partner verbally abuses them; Whereas 13 percent of Hispanic teens reported that hitting a partner was permissible; Whereas 29 percent of girls who have been in a relationship said they have been pressured to have sex or engage in sex they did not want; Whereas nearly 50 percent of girls worry that their partner would break up with them if they did not agree to engage in sex; Whereas Native American women experience higher rates of interpersonal violence than any other population group; Whereas violent relationships in adolescence can have serious ramifications for victims who are at higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, suicide, and adult revictimization; Whereas the severity of violence among intimate partners has been shown to increase if the pattern has been established in adolescence; Whereas 81 percent of parents surveyed either believe dating violence is not an issue or admit they do not know if it is an issue; and Whereas the establishment of the National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week will benefit schools, communities, and families regardless of socio-economic status, race, or sex: Now, therefore be it

That the Senate— (1)designates the week of February 5 through February 9, 2007, as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week; and (2)calls upon the people of the United States, high schools, law enforcement, State and local officials, and interested groups, to observe National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week with appropriate programs and activities that promote awareness and prevention of the crime of teen dating violence in their communities.