Teen Dating Violence Awareness Week is on its way to becoming National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. Assembly Concurrent Resolution No.100 was introduced by Assembly Member Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) and sponsored by CPEDV (California Partnership to End Domestic Violence) on January 4, 2010.
*Approximately one in three adolescent girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional and/or verbal abuse from a dating partner.
*Nationwide, one in 10 high school students (9.9 percent) has been hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend, and more than one in four teenagers have been in a relationship where a partner is verbally abusive.
*Violent relationships during adolescence can have serious ramifications for victims by putting the victims at higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, suicide, and adult revictimization. Also, being physically and sexually abused leaves teen girls up to six times more likely to become pregnant and more than twice as likely to report having a sexually transmitted disease.
*Nearly three out of four children between 11 and 14 years of age (referred to as "Tweens" ) say that dating relationships usually begin at 14 years of age or younger, and about 72 percent of 8th and 9th grade pupils report "dating" and dating violence, and nearly half of tweens who are in relationship know friends who are verbally abused...20 percent of tweens admit that their parents know little or nothing about the dating relations of tweens.
The Resolution No. 100 would encourage all Californians to observe the month with appropriate programs and activities that promote awareness and prevention of teen dating violence in their community.
The Antelope Community Action Team for Healthy Relationships is planning to collaborate with Wilson C. Riles' 8th Grade Art Classes to have a -"Hearts Not Pain"-Valentine Poster Contest, which will promote awareness and prevention of date violence and bullying. This event is to help empower teens to develop healthy and violence-free relationships.