III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 710 

Designating the week of February 2 through February 6, 2009, as ‘‘National 

Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 20, 2008 

Mr. CRAPO (for himself, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Ms. MURKOWSKI, 

Mr. SCHUMER, and Mr. BAYH) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Designating the week of February 2 through February 6, 

2009, as ‘‘National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and 

Prevention Week’’. 

Whereas 1 in 11 adolescents reports being a victim of physical dating violence; 

Whereas dating violence occurs more frequently among black 

students (13.9 percent) than among Hispanic (9.3 percent) or white (7 percent) students; 

Whereas 1 in 5 teenagers in a serious relationship reports 

having been hit, slapped, or pushed by a partner; 

Whereas more than 1 in 4 teenagers have been in a relationship where a partner is verbally abusive; 


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•SRES 710 IS 

Whereas 30 percent of teenagers in a dating relationship 

have been text messaged 10, 20, or 30 times per hour by 

a partner attempting to find out where they are, what 

they are doing, or who they are with; 

Whereas 40 percent of the youngest ‘‘tweens’’, those between 

the ages of 11 and 12, report that their friends are victims of verbal abuse in dating relationships; 

Whereas nearly 3 in 4 tweens say that dating relationships 

usually begin at age 14 or younger; 

Whereas 29 percent of girls who have been in a relationship 

said that they have been pressured to have sex or to engage in sexual activities that they did not want; 

Whereas 69 percent of all teenagers who had sex by age 14 

said they have experienced 1 or more types of abuse in 

a dating relationship; 

Whereas 1 in 5 teenagers (20 percent) between the ages of 

13 and 14 say their friends are victims of dating violence; 

Whereas in 2003, in a national survey of over 14,000 high 

school students conducted by the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention, just over 8 percent of boys and 

girls reported physical dating violence victimization and 

were more likely to engage in risky behaviors including 

sexual intercourse, attempted suicide, episodic heavy 

drinking, and physical fighting; 

Whereas Native American women experience higher rates of 

interpersonal violence than any other population group; 

Whereas violent relationships in adolescence can have serious 

ramifications for victims, putting them at higher risk for 

substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, 

suicide, and adult revictimization; 


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•SRES 710 IS 

Whereas the severity of violence among intimate partners has 

been shown to be greater in cases where the pattern of 

violence has been established in adolescence; 

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 tweens’ dating relationships; 

Whereas a majority of parents surveyed either believe dating 

violence is not an issue or admit they do not know if it 

is an issue; and 

Whereas the establishment of National Teen Dating Violence 

Awareness and Prevention Week will benefit schools, 

communities, and families regardless of socio-economic 

status, race, or sex: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates the week of February 2 through 

3 February 6, 2009, as ‘‘National Teen Dating Vio4 lence Awareness and Prevention Week’’; and 

5 (2) calls upon the people of the United States, 

6 high schools, law enforcement, State and local offi7 cials, and interested groups to observe National 

8 Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention 

9 Week with appropriate programs and activities that 

10 promote awareness and prevention of the crime of 

11 teen dating violence in their communities. 

Æ 


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