Designating the month of February as "Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month in Philadelphia."

WHEREAS

, Dating, domestic, and sexual violence affect women regardless of age, and teens and young women are especially vulnerable; and

WHEREAS

, The severity of violence among intimate partners has been shown to be greater in cases where the pattern of violence has been established in adolescence; and

WHEREAS

, Technologies such as cell phones and the Internet have made dating abuse both more pervasive and more hidden; and

WHEREAS

, Thirty percent of teenagers report digital abuse, which along with “sexting,” is becoming a new frontier for teen dating abuse; and

WHEREAS

, Seventy-two percent of teenagers who reported that they had been monitored by a boyfriend or girlfriend ten times per hour by e-mail or text messaging did not tell their parents and many parents are largely unaware of the cell phone and Internet harassment experienced by teenagers; and

WHEREAS

, 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; and

WHEREAS

, Primary prevention programs are a key part of addressing teen dating violence and many successful community examples include education, community outreach, and social marketing campaigns that also understand the cultural appropriateness of programs; and

WHEREAS

, The establishment of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month in Philadelphia will benefit schools, communities, and families regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or sex; now, therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA,

That Council hereby designates February 2010 as “Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month” in the City.

End