•HRES 1081 EH 
more than 2 times as likely to report a sexually trans-
mitted disease, than teen girls who are not abused; 
Whereas nearly 3 in 4 children, ages 11 to 14 (hereinafter 
referred to as ‘‘tweens’’), say that dating relationships 
usually begin at age 14 or younger, and approximately 72 
percent of 8th and 9th grade students report ‘‘dating’’; 
Whereas 1 in 5 tweens say their friends are victims of dating 
violence and nearly 1⁄2 of tweens who are in relationships 
know friends who are verbally abused; 
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 dating relationships of tweens; 
Whereas teen dating abuse most often takes place in the 
home of one of the teens in the dating relationship; 
Whereas a majority of parents surveyed believe they have had 
a conversation with their teen about what it means to be 
in a healthy relationship, but the majority of teens sur-
veyed said that they have not had a conversation about 
dating abuse with a parent in the past year; 
Whereas digital abuse and ‘‘sexting’’ are becoming new fron-
tiers for teen dating abuse; 
Whereas 1 in 4 teens in a relationship say they have been 
called names, harassed, or put down by their dating part-
ner through cellular phones and texting; 
Whereas 3 in 10 young people have sent or received nude pic-
tures of other young people on their cellular phones or 
online, and 61 percent who have ‘‘sexted’’ report being 
pressured to do so at least once; 
Whereas targets of digital abuse are almost 3 times as likely 
to contemplate suicide as those who have not encountered
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such abuse (8 percent versus 3 percent), and targets of 
digital abuse are nearly 3 times more likely to have con-
sidered dropping out of school; 
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 primary prevention programs are a key part of ad-
dressing teen dating violence, and many successful com-
munity examples include education, community outreach, 
and social marketing campaigns that account for the cul-
tural appropriateness of programs; 
Whereas in addition to prevention programs, skilled assess-
ment and intervention programs are necessary for youth 
victims and abusers; 
Whereas the alarming trend of unhealthy and abusive youth 
relationships exists in communities across the country, 
and affects youth of every race, culture, sex, and socio-
economic status; and 
Whereas the establishment of National Teen Dating Violence 
Awareness and Prevention Month in February will ben-
efit schools, communities, families, and youth throughout 
the Nation: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the goals and ideals of National Teen 
Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week to 
raise awareness of teen dating violence in the United 
States; 
(2) supports and encourages communities to em-
power teens to develop healthy relationships; and
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(3) encourages the people of the United States, 
State and local officials, middle schools and high schools, 
law enforcement agencies, and other interested groups to 
observe National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and 
Prevention Week with appropriate programs and activi-
ties that promote awareness and prevention of the crime 
of teen dating violence. 
Attest: 
Clerk.