IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 120 

Expressing support for designation of the month of February 2023 as 

‘‘National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 9, 2023 

Ms. WEXTON (for herself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mrs. HINSON, Ms. DEAN of 

Pennsylvania, Ms. NORTON, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. 

KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. TAKANO, Mrs. GONZA ́LEZCOLO ́N, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. TRONE, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. CHU, Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. 

SWALWELL, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Ms. 

PETTERSEN, Mr. NICKEL, and Mr. KIM of New Jersey) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for designation of the month of February 

2023 as ‘‘National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and 

Prevention Month’’. 

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (in this resolution referred to as the ‘‘CDC’’), 

teen dating violence includes 4 types of behavior: (1) 

physical violence, (2) sexual violence, (3) psychological 

aggression, and (4) stalking; 

Whereas, according to the National Institute of Justice and 

Statistics, technology-facilitated abuse is a growing social 


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•HRES 120 IH 

malady contributing to increased psychological aggression 

among teens; 

Whereas technology-facilitated abuse includes, but is not limited to, cyber extortion, cyberstalking, and doxing; 

Whereas, according to the Cyberbullying Research Center, 

over one quarter (28.1 percent) of teens who had been in 

a romantic relationship at some point in the previous 

year said they had been the victim of at least one form 

of digital dating abuse; 

Whereas, while dating violence, domestic violence, sexual violence, and stalking affect individuals regardless of age, 

teens are especially vulnerable; 

Whereas, according to the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 

almost half (44.3 percent) of teens experienced at least 

one type of violence and 1 in 7 (15.6 percent) of teens 

experienced at least two types of violence; 

Whereas 1 in 9 female and 1 in 36 male high school students 

report having experienced sexual dating violence in the 

last year; 

Whereas the CDC reported that nearly 1 in 11 female teens 

and about 1 in 15 male teens reported experiencing physical dating violence in the last year; 

Whereas teaching teens about the consequences of intimate 

partner violence and supporting the development of 

healthy, respectful, and nonviolent relationships have the 

potential to decrease teen dating violence in future generations; 

Whereas educating middle school students and their parents 

about the importance of building healthy relationships 

and preventing teen dating violence is key to deterring 

abuse before it begins; 


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Whereas, according to a National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey of the CDC, 80 percent of female 

rape victims experienced their first rape before the age of 

25, and almost half experienced their first rape before 

the age of 18; 

Whereas, according to the same National Intimate Partner 

and Sexual Violence Survey, 26 percent of women and 15 

percent of men who were victims of contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime first experienced these or other forms 

of violence by that partner before the age of 18; 

Whereas approximately 35 percent of women who were raped 

as minors were also raped as adults; 

Whereas developing healthy relationship practices and standards in youth under the age of 18 can be critical to eliminating sexual violence and other forms of intimate partner violence; 

Whereas teen dating violence is a preventable public health 

crisis that can negatively impact teens and youth in all 

parts of the United States; 

Whereas teens who have experienced dating violence are more 

than twice as likely as others to consider suicide; 

Whereas the CDC indicates that there are several community 

factors, such as poverty, low capital, such as lack of institutions, relationships, and norms that shape a community’s social interactions, poor neighborhood support and 

cohesion, weak community sanctions against intimate 

partner violence, and high alcohol outlet density, that 

place individuals at greater risk for perpetrating intimate 

partner violence; 


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•HRES 120 IH 

Whereas the CDC also indicates that community factors, 

such as neighborhood collective efficacy, and coordination 

of resources and services among community agencies, 

may reduce an individual’s risk of perpetrating intimate 

partner violence; 

Whereas primary prevention programs are a key part of addressing teen dating violence, and many successful examples of such programs include education, community outreach, and social marketing campaigns that are culturally 

appropriate; 

Whereas evidence-based programs such as the ‘‘Coaching 

Boys Into Men’’ program have demonstrated that teaching adolescent men how to have healthy and nonviolent 

relationships may increase positive bystander behavior 

and prevent men from becoming perpetrators of teen dating violence; 

Whereas the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, as 

amended by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 and the Consolidated Appropriations 

Act, 2022, includes the SMART Teen Dating Violence 

Awareness and Prevention Act, which improves the coordination and effectiveness of programs to address abusive youth relationships; 

Whereas skilled assessment and intervention programs are 

necessary for youth victims and abusers; and 

Whereas the establishment of the month of February 2023 

as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month will benefit schools, communities, and families 

regardless of socioeconomic status, race, and sex: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 


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•HRES 120 IH 

1 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘National Teen 

2 Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month’’; 

3 (2) supports communities in empowering teens 

4 to develop healthy relationships throughout their 

5 lives; 

6 (3) recognizes the national impact of teen dat7 ing violence on public health and its specific and dis8 proportionate impact on young women; and 

9 (4) calls on the people of the United States, in10 cluding youth, parents, schools, law enforcement, 

11 State and local officials, nonprofit organizations, and 

12 interested groups to observe National Teen Dating 

13 Violence Awareness and Prevention Month with ap14 propriate programs and activities that promote 

15 awareness and prevention of teen dating violence in 

16 communities across the country. 

Æ 


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