This resolution is in conjunction with a bill the Congressman has recently introduced called the Teen Dating Violence Prevention Act of 2009 (H.R. 789) in the U.S. House of Representatives.  The bill authorizes the Department of Justice to develop targeted grants to:

• assist youth victims of relationship abuse who run away, are homeless, incarcerated or end up in foster care;
• develop and implement education, counseling and prevention programs to prevent youth relationship abuse;
• provide rehabilitative services and counseling to both victims and abusers;
• offer legal services to victims who need protection or additional resources to ensure their safety;
• encourage collaborative prevention and reduction strategies; and
• enhance relationship abuse prevention and reduction programs already established in communities throughout America.

In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control, which resides in the 5th Congressional District of Georgia, launched a public service campaign called Break the Silence:  Stop the Violence.  The Centers discovered that one out of 11 teenagers was a victim of physical abuse by a partner.  And cell phones, the internet and other advanced technology have made stalking and abuse even more accessible.  This bill offers some federal means to assist communities in preventing teen violence.

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CONTACT:

Brenda Jones
(202) 226 - 4673


Additional Resources:

•  HR 789 Teen Dating Violence Prevention Act
•  Lewis Resolution
•  Teen Dating Violence Prevention Act of 2009 Factsheet