Teen Dating Violence In Schools
As a Delaware attorney who fights for victims of abuse, I am especially saddened when I hear about a young woman who has been physically abused by her boyfriend. And the situation gets even worse when the girl and her abuser attend the same school. There is a great deal of information available about teen dating violence in the schools, and if you're interested in learning more, a good place to start would be to check out the links provided below.
One interesting site is from a non-profit group called "Break The Cycle." Here's a brief excerpt:
Teen dating violence is an urgent, silent epidemic. One in three teens will experience abuse in a dating relationship and more than two-thirds of them will never report it to anyone. Break the Cycle believes everyone has the right to safe and healthy relationships. We are the leading, national nonprofit organization addressing teen dating violence. We work every day towards our mission to engage, educate and empower youth to build lives and communities free from domestic violence.
Break The Cycle publishes a State Law Report Card which surveys the civil domestic violence protection order laws of all fifty states and the District of Columbia, assessing their impact on teens seeking protection from abusive relationships. The State of Delaware earned a grade of "B" on its report card for 2010.
Invisible Victims: Holding the Educational System Liable For Teen Dating Violence at School written by Christine N. Carlson
Schools have a unique responsibility to address the issue of dating violence for several reasons. First and foremost, schools force contact between a batterer and a victim in a way that most other environments do not
Second, schools have a duty to provide protection for their students, including safeguarding them from physical harm inflicted by other students.
Third, schools have a unique opportunity to affect a teen abusers behavior to a greater degree than actors in most other settings.
Fourth, schools and school districts are liable for sexual harassment that occurs on school campuses if the harassment is known to a school authority figure who has the power to stop the harassment but ignores the problem or does not address it sufficiently.
CDC
Teen Dating Violence Prevention:On-Line Tips and Tools For Educators
