Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month

Congress has previously designated the first full week of February as a violence prevention week, but this is the first year that the entire month of February is dedicated to these prevention efforts.

According to the Texas Advocacy Project, one-third of teens report experiencing some kind of abuse in their romantic relationships, including verbal and emotional abuse.

Additionally, 75% of Texas youth (ages 16-24) have personally experienced dating violence or know someone who has.

In 2007, the Legislature passed House Bill 121, which mandates that all school districts in Texas adopt and implement a dating violence policy. Texas was the first state to pass such a law.

The law requires each school policy to include a definition of dating violence (physical, sexual, verbal, or emotional abuse) by a person to harm, threaten, intimidate, or control another person in a dating relationship.

The law must further address safety planning, enforcement of protective orders, school-based alternatives to protective orders, training for teachers and administrators, counseling for affected students, and awareness education for students and parents.

Unfortunately, the abuse and violence experienced by our youth and teens cannot always be detected by peers, school educators or administrators.

If you know of a teen who may need assistance, there are some wonderful resources in Texas specifically dedicated to helping teens.

The Texas Advocacy Project has a teen & family violence legal hotline, which can be contacted at 1.800.374.HOPE.

The National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline is 1.866.331.9474.

For more information on Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month, please visit the following websites, which are full of resources:

http://www.tcfv.org/resources/resources-for-teen-dating-violence-awareness-and-prevention-month/

http://www.ncfy.com/fvp/dating_violence_prevention_month.htm

If you would like any additional information regarding these programs and organizations, please feel free to contact my district office at 214.370.8305 or my capitol office at 512.463.0244.

Constituents are also welcome to email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), and be sure to include your name and full address. I look forward to hearing from you.