[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 362 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 362

   Designating the month of February 2012 as ``National Teen Dating 
               Violence Awareness and Prevention Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 31, 2012

  Mr. Crapo (for himself and Mr. Whitehouse) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Designating the month of February 2012 as ``National Teen Dating 
               Violence Awareness and Prevention Month''.

Whereas, although dating violence, domestic violence, sexual violence, and 
        stalking affect women regardless of age, teenage girls and young women 
        are especially vulnerable;
Whereas, according to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence survey 
        recently conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
        (referred to in this preamble as the ``CDC''), the majority of 
        victimization starts early in life, as most victims of rape and intimate 
        partner violence first experience such violence before age 24;
Whereas, according to the Liz Claiborne Inc. 2009 Parent/Teen Dating Violence 
        Poll, approximately 1 in 3 adolescent girls in the United States is a 
        victim of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a 
        rate that far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence 
        affecting young people;
Whereas, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (referred to 
        in this preamble as the ``YRBSS'') of the CDC, nearly 10 percent of high 
        school students have been hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by 
        a boyfriend or girlfriend during the past year;
Whereas, according to the American Journal of Public Health, more than 1 in 4 
        teenagers have been in a relationship where a partner is verbally 
        abusive;
Whereas, according to a survey conducted by the YRBSS, almost 20 percent of 
        teenage girls who were exposed to physical dating violence did not 
        attend school on 1 or more occasions during the 30 days preceding the 
        survey because the girls felt unsafe at school or on the way to or from 
        school;
Whereas a violent relationship in adolescence can have serious ramifications for 
        the victim, putting the victim at higher risk for substance abuse, 
        eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, suicide, and adult 
        revictimization;
Whereas being physically or sexually abused makes teenage girls--

    (1) up to 6 times more likely to become pregnant; and

    (2) more than twice as likely to contract a sexually transmitted 
disease;

Whereas, according to a recent study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and 
        Adolescent Medicine, more than half of teenagers and young adults 
        treated at an inner-city emergency room reported having been a victim or 
        perpetrator of dating violence;
Whereas nearly 3 in 4 ``tweens'', individuals who are between the ages of 11 and 
        14, report that dating relationships usually begin at age 14 or younger, 
        and approximately 72 percent of students in eighth or ninth grade report 
        dating;
Whereas 1 in 5 tweens report having a friend who is a victim of dating violence, 
        and nearly half of tweens who are in relationships know a friend who is 
        verbally abused;
Whereas more than 3 times as many tweens (20 percent) as parents of tweens (6 
        percent) admit that parents know little or nothing about the dating 
        relationships of tweens;
Whereas, according to the Liz Claiborne Inc. 2009 Parent/Teen Dating Violence 
        Poll, although 82 percent of parents are confident that they could 
        recognize the signs that their child was experiencing dating abuse, a 
        majority of parents, or 58 percent, could not correctly identify all the 
        warning signs of dating abuse;
Whereas 74 percent of teenage boys and 66 percent of teenage girls say they have 
        not had a conversation with a parent about dating abuse in the past 
        year;
Whereas, according to a National Crime Prevention Council survey, 43 percent of 
        middle and high school students reported experiencing cyberbullying 
        during the past year;
Whereas 1 in 4 teens in a relationship report having been called names, 
        harassed, or put down by a partner through the use of a cell phone, 
        including through texting;
Whereas 3 in 10 young people have sexted, and 61 percent of young people who 
        have sexted report being pressured to do so at least once;
Whereas, according to the Liz Claiborne Inc. 2010 College Dating Violence and 
        Abuse Poll, 43 percent of college women who date report experiencing 
        violent and abusive dating behavior;
Whereas 70 percent of college students who experienced relationship abuse failed 
        to realize that they were in an abusive relationship at the time, and 60 
        percent of college students who were in an abusive relationship said 
        that no one stepped in to help them;
Whereas the severity of violence among intimate partners has been shown to be 
        greater in cases where a pattern of violence was established during 
        adolescence;
Whereas primary prevention programs are a key part of addressing teen dating 
        violence, and successful examples of such programs include education, 
        community outreach, and social marketing campaigns that are culturally 
        appropriate;
Whereas educating middle school students and the parents of those students about 
        the importance of building healthy relationships and preventing teen 
        dating violence is key to deterring dating abuse before it begins;
Whereas skilled assessment and intervention programs are also necessary for 
        young victims and abusers; and
Whereas the establishment of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and 
        Prevention Month will benefit schools, communities, and families 
        regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or sex: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates the month of February 2012 as ``National 
        Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month'';
            (2) supports communities that are empowering teenagers to 
        develop healthier relationships throughout their lives; and
            (3) calls upon the people of the United States, including 
        young people, parents, schools, law enforcement officials, 
        State and local officials, and interested groups to observe 
        National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month 
        with appropriate programs and activities that promote awareness 
        and prevention of teen dating violence in their communities.
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