Assembly Concurrent Resolution
No. 101
CHAPTER 81
Relative to Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.
[
Filed with
Secretary of State
August 21, 2012.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 101, Lara.
Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.
This measure would designate the month of February 2012 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, and would encourage all Californians to observe Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month with appropriate programs and activities that raise awareness about teen dating violence and promote healthy teen relationships in their communities.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee:
NO WHEREAS, Teen dating violence, also known as dating abuse, is a serious and growing problem throughout California; and
WHEREAS, In a study of California high school pupils, 7 percent of 11th graders indicated that they were victims of teen dating violence in the past 12 months; and
WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 10 percent of high school students have been hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past year; and
WHEREAS, According to the United States Bureau of Justice Statistics, females 16 to 24 years of age are more vulnerable to intimate partner violence than any other age group, at a rate almost triple the overall average; and
WHEREAS, According to Liz Claiborne’s 2009 Parent/Teen Dating Violence Poll, approximately one in three adolescent girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence affecting youth; and
WHEREAS, Teen dating violence has been linked to other forms of violence and aggression against peers, including bullying, sexual harassment, sexual violence, and physical violence; and
WHEREAS, Victims of teen dating violence are at increased risk for low academic performance, truancy, dropout, teen pregnancy, suicide, having eating disorders, and engaging in other harmful behaviors such as use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs; and
WHEREAS, A substantial number of incidents of dating violence occur in school buildings and on school grounds; and
WHEREAS, Victims of teen dating violence are also at increased risk for carrying a weapon to school, being threatened or injured with a weapon at school, and damaging school property; and
WHEREAS, Pupils who are victims in high school are at higher risk for victimization during college, and adolescent perpetrators of dating violence are more likely to abuse their intimate partners as adults; and
WHEREAS, Teen dating violence intervention and prevention programs can address warning signs of dating violence among pupils before behaviors escalate, protect the safety of targeted students, and help to ensure a positive school climate and safe learning environment for all pupils; and
WHEREAS, The establishment of Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month will benefit schools, communities, families, and all youth; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature proclaims the month of February 2012 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, and supports communities to empower teens to develop healthy and violence-free relationships throughout their lives; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature calls upon the people of California, including youth, families, schools, and community groups, to observe Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month with programs and activities that raise awareness about the dynamics of teen dating violence and support young people in learning the skills to have safe and healthy relationships; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.