Week Promotes Teen Dating Violence Awareness

Congress has proclaimed the week of February 5-9, 2007, as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week.

"Teen dating violence is a growing problem and a sad reality for many teenagers," OJJDP Administrator J. Robert Flores has observed. "Our research has consistently demonstrated that teens exposed to, or victimized by, abuse are at increased risk for delinquency. Fortunately, this problem can be prevented if parents are involved in the lives of their children. By playing a significant role in determining whom their children spend time with and under what circumstances, parents can build a safe environment in which their children can explore a healthy relationship with the opposite sex."

Resources:

With funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the American Bar Association has developed an educational toolkit. In 2006, more than 1,000 of these kits were provided to schools and community organizations across the country. For additional information, visit: http://www.abanet.org/unmet/toolkitmaterials.ht ml.