Since
2006, February has been observed as an important time to raise awareness about
the serious issue of dating violence in high schools, colleges and communities
across the nation.
In
2008, the US Senate unanimously apporoved S. Res.
710 declaring the first week of February as "National
Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention
Week," and on January 25, 2010, the Senate expanded
the observance by declaring the month of February
as "National Teen Dating Violence Awareness
& Prevention Month" (S. Res. 373). President
Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation in 2011
for National Teen Dating Violence Awareness &
Prevention Month.
This
year, there are
many things that you can do to help raise awareness about dating abuse and violence.
Here are some ideas:
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1)
Write to your Mayor and Governor and ask
them to join other leaders across the nation
in declaring February as Dating Violence
Awareness & Prevention Month. In most
cases, all it takes is a school or nonprofit
organization to request it and provide a
sample proclamation! (Please ask them to
send a copy to The EMILY Fund - PO Box 430,
Roosevelt, NJ 08555-0430, or send a scan
to info@emilyfund.org
so that it can be posted on the internet
to inspire other communities to do the same.)
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2)
If your town or state has declared a proclamation, let your local newspaper know
about it and why dating violence awareness is important.
3)
Wear a purple ribbon (the official color of domestic violence awareness) or a
heart on your sleeve (print out free designs at the Have
a Heart Campaign
website) and when people ask you about it, let them know why dating abuse awareness
is important to you.
4)
Create or print out posters about dating abuse to display at school or around
your community.
5)
Participate in the National Dating Pledge Challenge to Stop Dating Violence -
hand out FREE Dating Pledge cards.
6)
Set up a table on campus or during lunch to hand out Dating Pledge cards and other
educational materials about dating abuse and dating violence.
7)
Urge your school to establish a Dating
Violence Policy
if there isn't one already in place.
8)
Urge your school to establish a year-round Dating
Violence Awareness education program.
9)
Find out more about the Lindsay
Ann Burke Act requiring schools to provide
dating violence awareness resources to all students.
3 states have already passed bills - has yours?
.
10)
Participate in a Healthy Relationship Peer Education
Program, or if there isn't one at your school,
work with your school or a local domestic violence
agency to establish one.
11)
Find
out more:
No
Means Know's Teen Dating Violence Month Activity
Ideas (PDF)
LoveIsRespect.org's
Teen Dating Violence Community Awareness Ideas
New
Mexico's Teen Dating Violence Awareness &
Prevention Toolkit (PDF)
Mesa
Arizona's page on Teen Dating Violence Awareness
Month
Teen
Dating Violence Prevention Initiative - Teen
Dating Violence Awareness Month
Break
The Cycle's Have a Heart Campaign
DatingAbuseStopsHere.org
Some
information on this page also from:
The
Safe Space.org (http://www.thesafespace.org/tdvap-week/)
Utah
Department of Health:http://health.utah.gov/vipp/dating%
20violence/awarenessweek.html
NY
State Office for the Prevention of Violence: http://www.opdv.state.ny.us/public_awareness/campaigns/tdvcampaigns/awareactivities.html
Printable PDF Handouts
Sample
Proclamation:
Whereas,
dating violence is a reality for many youth, and an issue that many parents are
unaware of; and,
Whereas,
1 in 3 young people are affected by physical, sexual, or verbal dating violence,
with 1 in 5 in a serious relationship reporting having been slapped, pushed, hit,
threatened or coerced by a partner, and breakups can be a time of even greater
risk even when a relationship was never physically abusive; and,
Whereas,
Young people can choose better relationships when they understand that healthy
relationships are based on respect and learn to identify early warning signs of
an abusive relationship; and
Whereas,
Elimination of dating violence must be achieved through cooperation of individuals,
organizations, and communities; and,
Whereas,
Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month provides an excellent opportunity
for citizens to learn more about preventing dating violence and to show support
for the numerous organizations and individuals who provide critical advocacy,
services and assistance to victims;
Now
therefore be it, Resolved, That I, ________________, do hereby proclaim the month
of February, 2010, as Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month in ____________.
Please
send a copy of your Mayor or Governor's proclamation to
StopDatingViolence.org
- The EMILY Fund
PO Box 430, Roosevelt, NJ 08555-0430
or send a scan to:
info@emilyfund.org or Fax to 1-888-247-1291
