[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 388 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 388

    Designating the week of February 4 through February 8, 2008, as 
    ``National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 5, 2007

Mr. Crapo (for himself, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Lieberman, Ms. Murkowski, and 
 Mr. Biden) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Designating the week of February 4 through February 8, 2008, as 
    ``National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week''.

Whereas 1 in 3 female teenagers in a dating relationship has feared for her 
        physical safety;
Whereas 1 in 2 teenagers in a serious relationship has compromised personal 
        beliefs to please a partner;
Whereas 1 in 5 teenagers in a serious relationship reports having been hit, 
        slapped, or pushed by a partner;
Whereas 27 percent of teenagers have been in dating relationships in which their 
        partners called them names or put them down;
Whereas 29 percent of girls who have been in a relationship said that they have 
        been pressured to have sex or to engage in sexual activities that they 
        did not want;
Whereas technologies such as cell phones and the Internet have made dating abuse 
        both more pervasive and more hidden;
Whereas 30 percent of teenagers who have been in a dating relationship say that 
        they have been text-messaged between 10 and 30 times per hour by a 
        partner seeking to find out where they are, what they are doing, or who 
        they are with;
Whereas 72 percent of teenagers who reported they'd been checked up on by a 
        boyfriend or girlfriend 10 times per hour by email or text messaging did 
        not tell their parents;
Whereas parents are largely unaware of the cell phone and Internet harassment 
        experienced by teenagers;
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, putting them 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 be 
        greater in cases where the pattern of violence has been established in 
        adolescence; and
Whereas the establishment of 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
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates the week of February 4 through February 8, 
        2008, 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.
                                 <all>