[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9393 of January 29, 2016

National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Teen dating violence is a serious violation that can affect a young
person's safety, development, and sense of comfort. Perpetrated by a
current or past intimate partner, dating violence takes many forms,
including physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, and can occur in person
or through electronic communication and social media. Violent dating
relationships can lead to depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol use, and
thoughts of suicide, and victims may continue to experience detrimental
effects throughout their lives. During National Teen Dating Violence
Awareness and Prevention Month, we recognize the urgency needed in
addressing this problem and recommit to preventing it by educating our
youth about its dangers and consequences, and reaffirm the basic human
right to be free from violence and abuse.

Dating violence may include physical force, such as kicking, hitting,
and shoving; emotional abuse, consistent monitoring, and isolation; or
sexual assault. Dating violence can occur in any relationship, whether
it is casual and short-term or long-term and monogamous, and any young
person can experience dating violence or other unhealthy relationship
behaviors--regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, or socioeconomic status. Approximately 1 in 10 teenagers
reports being physically or sexually victimized by a dating partner, and
too many other victims do not report it. The cycle of violence can begin
with anyone at any time, and as a society, we must acknowledge that we
each have a role to play in teaching children about healthy
relationships. In their formative years, teens are influenced by their
early relationships, and the example set by those around them can have
lasting consequences.
My Administration is working diligently to address teen dating violence
in a number of ways. Vice President Joe Biden's 1is2many initiative is
strengthening efforts to reduce dating violence among those most
vulnerable, particularly young women between the ages of 16 and 24, and
is utilizing technology to engage students, teens, and young adults in
this cause. To build on our efforts, I established the White House Task
Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. The Task Force will, in
addition to working to combat sexual violence on college campuses,
explore ways its recommendations may apply to elementary and secondary
schools across our country. My Administration will keep forging a future
in which no teenager must suffer due to having an abusive partner.
All Americans have a role to play in ending dating violence and
fostering safe, healthy environments for our young people. This month,
let us seize our responsibility to set positive examples for our
Nation's teenagers by celebrating and demonstrating healthy
relationships, and let us recommit to ensuring all people who may be in
an abusive relationship have access to help and support. Together, we
can reach a day when no young person knows the pain caused by dating
violence.

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If you or someone you know is involved in an abusive relationship of any
kind, you can get immediate and confidential support by calling 1-866-
331-9474, texting ``LoveIs'' to 22522, or visiting LoveIsRespect.org.
For additional information and resources on dating violence, please
visit VetoViolence.CDC.gov.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 2016 as
National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. I call
upon all Americans to support efforts in their communities and schools,
and in their own families, to empower young people to develop healthy
relationships throughout their lives and to engage in activities that
prevent and respond to teen dating violence.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of
January, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA