BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | ACR 109|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
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|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: ACR 109
Author: Montanez (D)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
WITHOUT REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE OR FILE
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : Read and adopted, 2/9/06
SUBJECT : Teen dating violence
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution proclaims the week of February
6-10 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week.
ANALYSIS : This resolution states that:
1. Teen dating violence is a serious and growing problem
throughout California.
2. Dating violence is controlling, abusive, and aggressive
behavior in a relationship, which can occur in
heterosexual or homosexual relationships. It can
include verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, or
a combination of any of those.
3. One in three teenagers has experienced violence in a
dating relationship.
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4. Anyone can be a victim of dating violence. Both boys
and girls are victims, but boys and girls tend to abuse
their partners in different ways. Girls are more likely
to yell, threaten to hurt themselves, pinch, slap,
scratch, or kick, while boys are more likely to
physically injure or force unwanted sexual activity.
Some teenage victims experience violence occasionally
while others are abused much more often.
5. Young women, ages 16 to 24 years, inclusive, experience
the highest rates of dating violence.
6. Teenage victims are highly vulnerable to being
revictimized. One study found that 80 percent of youths
reporting violent behavior had been victimized two or
more times.
7. Among female students between the ages of 15-20 years
who reported at least one violent act during a dating
relationship, 24 percent reported experiencing extremely
violent incidents such as rape or the use of weapons
against them.
8. In a study of eighth and ninth graders, 25 percent
indicated that they had been victims of dating violence,
including eight percent who disclosed being sexually
abused.
9. Approximately one in five female public high school
students reported ever experiencing physical or sexual
violence from dating partners.
10.Teenagers are less likely to report their victimization
than adults because of the shock, shame, and stigma
attached to being a victim of a crime. These obstacles
represent a barrier to vulnerable teenagers seeking
help.
11.Increased awareness of teenage dating violence is the
first step toward prevention of this type of abuse.
12.Teenagers deserve to be in a relationship free of the
fear of violence. They have a right to have safe
relationships.
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13.Governmental, private organizations, public officials,
as well as private citizens must work together to raise
the awareness of the high incidence of teenage dating
violence and to promote prevention strategies.
This resolution proclaims the week of February 6-10 as Teen
Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
RJG:mel 2/27/06 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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