,,iv  #aac? ,,congress  #a/ ,session    
,h4 ,,res4 #ic  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(      
,,repres5tatives  ,febru>y #bh1 #bjac   
,mr4 ,lewis 7= himself & ,ms4 ,moore7   
submitt$ ! foll[+ resolution2 :i* 0     
ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ! ,judici>y   
,,resolution  ,express+ support =       
designation ( ! mon? ( ,febru>y #bjac z 
,national ,te5 ,dat+ ,viol5ce ,aw>5ess &
 ,prev5tion ,mon?4  ,:]eas :ile dat+    
viol5ce1 dome/ic viol5ce1 sexual        
viol5ce1 & /alk+ affect wom5 reg>dless (
 age1 te5s & "y wom5 are especially     
vuln]able2 ,:]eas accord+ to a ,national
 ,intimate ,p>tn] & ,sexual ,viol5ce    
survey by ! ,c5t]s = ,disease ,control &
 ,prev5tion 7,,cdc71 ! majority (       
victimization />ts e>ly 9 life z mo/    
rape & intimate p>tn] viol5ce is fir/   
exp]i5c$ be=e age #bd2 ,:]eas 9 #bjjh1 !
 ,national ,c\ncil on ,crime &          
,del9qu5cy report$ t approximately #a 9 
#c adolesc5t girls 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates is 
a victim ( physical1 emotional1 or v]bal
 abuse f a dat+ p>tn]1 a rate t f>      

exce$s victimization rates = o!r types (
 viol5ce affect+ y\?2 ,:]eas accord+ to 
! ,y\? ,risk ,behavior ,surveillance    
,sy/em 7,,yrbss7 ( ! ,,cdc1 ne>ly #aj   
p]c5t ( high s*ool /ud5ts h be5 hit1    
slapp$1 or physically hurt on purpose by
 a boyfri5d or girlfri5d 9 ! pa/ ye>2   
,:]eas a #bjab /udy z "p ( an indep5d5t 
evaluation ( ,/>t ,/rong3 ,build+       
,heal?y ,te5 ,relation%ips1 an          
initiative aim$ at build+ heal?y        
relation%ips among middle s*ool y\?1    
f9ds te5 dat+ viol5ce behaviors common  
ev5 among #g?-grade /ud5ts ) ne>ly "o 9 
six report+ physical dat+ viol5ce2      
,:]eas accord+ to data f ! ,,yrbss1     
almo/ #bj p]c5t ( te5 girls :o 7 expos$ 
to physical dat+ viol5ce did n att5d    
s*ool on #a or m occasions dur+ ! pa/   
#cj days due to feel+ unsafe at s*ool or
 on ! way to or f s*ool2 ,:]eas s*ools  
are unequipp$ to h&le ! issue1 z a rec5t
 /udy by ,ball ,/ate ,univ]sity f\nd t  
#ha p]c5t ( s*ool c\nselors report$ t !y
 did n h a s*ool protocol on h[ to      

respond to an incid5t ( te5 dat+ viol5ce
 b #fa p]c5t report$ t !y _h assi/$     
victims ( dat+-relat$ viol5ce 9 ! pa/ #b
 ye>s1 despite a lack ( =mal tra9+ = "s 
( ! c\nselors2 ,:]eas a /udy publi%$ 9  
,p$iatrics sugge/s t te5 dat+ viol5ce is
 a sub/antial public heal? problem z    
victims ( te5 dat+ viol5ce are at       
increas$ risk ( mood & behavior problems
 z "y adults1 & at increas$ risk =      
future viol5t relation%ips2 ,:]eas girls
 victimiz$ by a te5 boyfri5d report$ m  
heavy dr9k+1 smok+1 depression1 & ?\ghts
 ( suicide1 & te5s ( bo? sexes :o 7 9   
aggressive relation%ips 7 #b to #c times
 m likely to be 9 viol5t relation%ips z 
"y adults2 ,:]eas be+ physically &      
sexually abus$ leaves te5 girls up to #f
 times m likely to become pregnant & m  
?an twice z likely to contract a        
sexually transmitt$ disease2 ,:]eas m   
?an #c times z _m twe5s 7#bj p]c5t7 z   
p>5ts ( twe5s 7#f p]c5t7 admit t p>5ts  
"k little or no?+ ab\t ! dat+           
relation%ips ( twe5s2 ,:]eas accord+ to 

! #bjji ,p>5t_/,te5 ,dat+ ,viol5ce ,poll
 by ,liz ,claiborne ,inc41 al?\gh #hb   
p]c5t ( p>5ts are confid5t t !y c\ld    
recognize ! signs if _! *ild 0 exp]i5c+ 
dat+ abuse1 #eh p]c5t ( p>5ts c\ld n    
correctly id5tify all ( ! w>n+ signs (  
abuse2 ,:]eas #gd p]c5t ( te5age boys & 
#ff p]c5t ( te5age girls say t !y h n _h
 a conv]sation ) a p>5t ab\t dat+ abuse 
9 ! pa/ ye>2 ,:]eas #a 9 #d te5s 9 a    
relation%ip say t !y h be5 call$ names1 
h>ass$1 or put d[n by _! p>tn] ?r\gh    
telephones & text+2 ,:]eas accord+ to ! 
#bjaj ,college ,dat+ ,viol5ce & ,abuse  
,poll by ,liz ,claiborne ,inc41 #dc     
p]c5t ( college wom5 :o date report     
exp]i5c+ abusive dat+ behaviors2 ,:]eas 
#gj p]c5t ( college /ud5ts :o 7 9 an    
abusive relation%ip fail$ to realize t  
!y 7 9 an abusive relation%ip1 & #fj    
p]c5t ( su* /ud5ts said t no "o /epp$ 9 
to help !m :5 !y 7 9 an abusive         
relation%ip2 ,:]eas ! sev]ity ( viol5ce 
among intimate p>tn]s has be5 %[n to be 
great] 9 cases :]e ! patt]n ( viol5ce 0 

e/abli%$ 9 adolesc5ce2 ,:]eas prim>y    
prev5tion programs are a key "p (       
address+ te5 dat+ viol5ce1 & _m         
successful examples ( su* programs      
include education1 community outrea*1 & 
social m>ket+ campaigns t are culturally
 appropriate2 ,:]eas educat+ middle     
s*ool /ud5ts & _! p>5ts ab\t !          
importance ( build+ heal?y relation%ips 
& prev5t+ te5 dat+ viol5ce is key to    
det]r+ abuse be=e x beg9s2 ,:]eas skill$
 assessm5t & int]v5tion programs are    
necess>y = y\? victims & abus]s2 &      
,:]eas ! e/abli%m5t ( ! mon? ( ,febru>y 
#bjac z ,national ,te5 ,dat+ ,viol5ce   
,aw>5ess & ,prev5tion ,mon? w b5efit    
s*ools1 communities1 & families         
reg>dless ( socioeconomic /atus1 race1  
or sex3 ,n[1 !re=e1 be x  ,t ! ,h\se (  
,repres5tatives--  7#a7 supports !      
designation ,national ,te5 ,dat+        
,viol5ce ,aw>5ess & ,prev5tion ,mon?2   
7#b7 supports communities 9 emp[]+ te5s 
to develop heal?y relation%ips ?r\gh\t  
_! lives2 &  7#c7 calls on ! p ( !      

,unit$ ,/ates1 includ+ y\?1 p>5ts1      
s*ools1 law en=cem5t1 ,/ate & local     
(ficials1 & int]e/$ gr\ps to obs]ve     
,national ,te5 ,dat+ ,viol5ce ,aw>5ess &
 ,prev5tion ,mon? ) appropriate programs
 & activities t promote aw>5ess &       
prev5tion ( te5 dat+ viol5ce 9 _!       
communities4