,,iv #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #hea ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,february #ab1 #bjbj,mr4 ,lewis 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,wilson of ,florida1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,ms4 ,kelly of ,illinois1 and ,ms4 ,johnson of ,texas7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,,resolution ,expressing support for designation of the month of ,february #bjbj as ,national ,teen ,dating ,violence ,awareness and ,prevention ,month4 ,whereas according to the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention 7in this resolution referred to as the ,,cdc71 teen dating violence includes #d types of behavior3 7#a7 physical violence1 7#b7 sexual violence1 7#c7 psychological aggression1 and 7#d7 stalking2 ,whereas while dating violence1 domestic violence1 sexual violence1 and stalking affect women regardless of age1 teens and young women are especially vulnerable2 ,whereas according to a study done by the ,national ,council on ,crime and ,delinquency1 approximately #a in #c adolescent girls in the ,united ,states is a victim of physical1 emotional1 or verbal abuse from a dating partner2 ,whereas #a in #i female and #a in #cf male high school students report having experienced sexual dating violence in the last year2 ,whereas the ,,cdc reported that nearly #a in #aa female teens and about #a in #ae male teens reported experiencing physical dating violence in the last year2 ,whereas teaching teens about the consequences of intimate partner violence and supporting the development of healthy1 respectful1 and nonviolent relationships have the potential to decrease teen dating violence in future generations2 ,whereas educating middle school students and their parents about the importance of building healthy relationships and preventing teen dating violence is key to deterring abuse before it begins2 ,whereas according to a ,national ,intimate ,partner and ,sexual ,violence ,survey of the ,,cdc1 #hj percent of female rape victims experienced their first rape before the age of #be1 and almost half experienced their first rape before the age of #ah2 ,whereas according to the same ,national ,intimate ,partner and ,sexual ,violence ,survey1 #bf percent of women and #ae percent of men who were victims of contact sexual violence1 physical violence1 or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime first experienced these or other forms of violence by that partner before the age of #ah2 ,whereas approximately #ce percent of women who were raped as minors were also raped as adults2 ,whereas developing healthy relationship practices and standards in youth under the age of #ah can be critical to eliminating sexual violence and other forms of intimate partner violence2 ,whereas teen dating violence is a preventable public health crisis that can negatively impact teens and youth in all parts of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas teens who have experienced dating violence are more than twice as likely as others to consider suicide2 ,whereas the ,,cdc indicates that there are several community factors1 such as poverty1 low capital-lack of institutions1 poor neighborhood support and cohesion1 weak community sanctions against intimate partner violence1 and high alcohol outlet density1 that place individuals at greater risk for perpetrating intimate partner violence2 ,whereas the ,,cdc also indicates that community factors1 such as neighborhood collective efficacy1 and coordination of resources and services among community agencies1 may reduce an individual's risk of perpetrating intimate partner violence2 ,whereas primary prevention programs are a key part of addressing teen dating violence1 and many successful examples of such programs include education1 community outreach1 and social marketing campaigns that are culturally appropriate2 ,whereas evidence-based programs such as the ,coaching ,boys ,into ,men program have demonstrated that teaching adolescent men how to have healthy and nonviolent relationships may increase positive bystander behavior and prevent men from becoming perpetrators of teen dating violence2 ,whereas the ,violence ,against ,women ,act of #aiid1 as amended by the ,violence ,against ,women ,reauthorization ,act of #bjac1 includes the ,,smart ,teen ,dating ,violence ,awareness and ,prevention ,act1 which improves the coordination and effectiveness of existing programs to address abusive youth relationships2 ,whereas skilled assessment and intervention programs are necessary for youth victims and abusers2 and ,whereas the establishment of the month of ,february #bjbj as ,national ,teen ,dating ,violence ,awareness and ,prevention ,month will benefit schools1 communities1 and families regardless of socioeconomic status1 race1 and sex3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 supports the designation of ,national ,teen ,dating ,violence ,awareness and ,prevention ,month2 7#b7 supports communities in empowering teens to develop healthy relationships throughout their lives2 7#c7 recognizes the national impact of teen dating violence on public health and its specific and disproportionate impact on young women2 and 7#d7 calls on the people of the ,united ,states1 including youth1 parents1 schools1 law enforcement1 ,state and local officials1 nonprofit organizations1 and interested groups to observe ,national ,teen ,dating ,violence ,awareness and ,prevention ,month with appropriate programs and activities that promote awareness and prevention of teen dating violence in communities across the country4