BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | ACR 100|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: ACR 100
Author: Jones (D), et al
Amended: 2/1/10 in Assembly
Vote: 21
WITHOUT REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE OR FILE
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : Read and adopted, 2/4/10
SUBJECT : Teen dating violence
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution recognizes the month of February
2010 as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and
Prevention Month and encourages all Californians to observe
the month with appropriate programs and activities that
promote awareness and prevention of the crime of teen
dating violence in their communities.
ANALYSIS :
This resolution states:
1. Teenage dating violence is a serious and growing problem
throughout California.
2. Dating, domestic, and sexual violence affects women
regardless of their age, and teens and young women are
especially vulnerable.
CONTINUED
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3. Approximately one in three adolescent girls in the
United States is a victim of physical, emotional, or
verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far
exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence
affecting youth.
4. Nationwide, one in 10 high school students (9.9 percent)
has been hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by
a boyfriend or girlfriend.
5. More than one in four teenagers have been in a
relationship where a partner is verbally abusive.
6. Twenty percent of teen girls exposed to physical dating
violence did not attend school because the teen girls
felt unsafe, either at school or on the way to or from
school, on one or more occasions in a 30-day period.
7. In a study of California high school pupils, seven
percent of 11th graders indicated that they were victims
of teenage dating violence within the last 12 months.
8. Violent relationships during adolescence can have
serious ramifications for victims by putting the victims
at higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders,
risky sexual behavior, suicide, and adult
revictimization.
9. Being physically and sexually abused leaves teen girls
up to six times more likely to become pregnant and more
than twice as likely to report having a sexually
transmitted disease.
10.Nearly three out of four children between 11 and 14
years of age (referred to hereafter as "tweens"), say
that dating relationships usually begin at 14 years of
age or younger, and about 72 percent of 8th and 9th
grade pupils report "dating".
11.One out of five tweens say their friends are victims of
dating violence and nearly half of tweens who are in
relationships know friends who are verbally abused.
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12.More than three times as many tweens (20 percent) as
parents of tweens (six percent) admit that parents know
little or nothing about the dating relationships of
tweens.
13.Teen dating abuse most often takes place in the home of
one of the partners.
14.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
surveyed said that they have not had a conversation
about dating abuse with a parent in the past year.
15.Digital abuse and "sexting," the electronic distribution
of pictures, videos, or text messages that are sexually
explicit, are becoming new frontiers for teen dating
abuse.
16.One out of four teens in a relationship say they have
been called names, harassed, or put down by their
partner through the use of cell phones or texting.
17.Three out of 10 young people have sent or received nude
pictures of other young people on their cell phone or
online, and 61 percent who have "sexted" report being
pressured to do so at least once.
18.Targets of digital abuse are almost three times as
likely to contemplate suicide as those who have not
encountered such abuse (eight percent vs. three
percent), and targets of digital abuse are nearly three
times more likely to have considered dropping out of
school.
19.The severity of violence among intimate partners has
been shown to be greater in cases where the pattern of
violence has been established during adolescence.
20.Primary prevention programs are a key part of addressing
teen dating violence, and many successful community
examples include, but are not limited to, education,
community outreach, and social marketing campaigns that
also understand the cultural appropriateness of
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programs.
21.Skilled assessment and intervention programs are also
necessary for youth victims and abusers.
22.The establishment of a National Teen Dating Violence
Awareness and Prevention Month will benefit schools,
communities, families, and all youths.
23.Governmental organizations, private organizations, and
public officials, as well as families and youth, must
work together to raise awareness of the high incidence
of teen dating violence and to promote prevention
strategies
This resolution provides that the Legislature recognizes
the month of February 2010 as "National Teen Dating
Violence Awareness and Prevention Month". That the
Legislature supports communities in empowering teens to
develop healthy and violence-free relationships. That the
Legislature encourages all Californians to observe National
Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month with
appropriate programs and activities that promote awareness
and prevention of the crime of teen dating violence in
their communities.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
RJG:do 2/17/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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