Dating Violence
Awareness and
Prevention Month

February

Since 2006, February has been observed as an important time to raise awareness about the serious issue of dating violence in high schools, colleges and communities across the nation.

In 2008, the US Senate unanimously apporoved S. Res. 710 declaring the first week of February as "National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week," and on January 25, 2010, the Senate expanded the observance by declaring the month of February as "National Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month" (S. Res. 373). President Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation in 2011 for National Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month.

This year, there are many things that you can do to help raise awareness about dating abuse and violence. Here are some ideas:

1) Write to your Mayor and Governor and ask them to join other leaders across the nation in declaring February as Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month. In most cases, all it takes is a school or nonprofit organization to request it and provide a sample proclamation! (Please ask them to send a copy to The EMILY Fund - PO Box 430, Roosevelt, NJ 08555-0430, or send a scan to info@emilyfund.org so that it can be posted on the internet to inspire other communities to do the same.)

2) If your town or state has declared a proclamation, let your local newspaper know about it and why dating violence awareness is important.

3) Wear a purple ribbon (the official color of domestic violence awareness) or a heart on your sleeve (print out free designs at the Have a Heart Campaign website) and when people ask you about it, let them know why dating abuse awareness is important to you.

4) Create or print out posters about dating abuse to display at school or around your community.

5) Participate in the National Dating Pledge Challenge to Stop Dating Violence - hand out FREE Dating Pledge cards.

6) Set up a table on campus or during lunch to hand out Dating Pledge cards and other educational materials about dating abuse and dating violence.

7) Urge your school to establish a Dating Violence Policy if there isn't one already in place.

8) Urge your school to establish a year-round Dating Violence Awareness education program.

9) Find out more about the Lindsay Ann Burke Act requiring schools to provide dating violence awareness resources to all students. 3 states have already passed bills - has yours? .

10) Participate in a Healthy Relationship Peer Education Program, or if there isn't one at your school, work with your school or a local domestic violence agency to establish one.

11) Find out more:

No Means Know's Teen Dating Violence Month Activity Ideas (PDF)
LoveIsRespect.org's Teen Dating Violence Community Awareness Ideas
New Mexico's Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Toolkit (PDF)
Mesa Arizona's page on Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
Teen Dating Violence Prevention Initiative - Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
Break The Cycle's Have a Heart Campaign
DatingAbuseStopsHere.org

Some information on this page also from:

The Safe Space.org (http://www.thesafespace.org/tdvap-week/)
Utah Department of Health:
http://health.utah.gov/vipp/dating% 20violence/awarenessweek.html
NY State Office for the Prevention of Violence: http://www.opdv.state.ny.us/public_awareness/campaigns/tdvcampaigns/awareactivities.html


Printable PDF Handouts

Sample Proclamation:

Whereas, dating violence is a reality for many youth, and an issue that many parents are unaware of; and,

Whereas, 1 in 3 young people are affected by physical, sexual, or verbal dating violence, with 1 in 5 in a serious relationship reporting having been slapped, pushed, hit, threatened or coerced by a partner, and breakups can be a time of even greater risk even when a relationship was never physically abusive; and,

Whereas, Young people can choose better relationships when they understand that healthy relationships are based on respect and learn to identify early warning signs of an abusive relationship; and

Whereas, Elimination of dating violence must be achieved through cooperation of individuals, organizations, and communities; and,

Whereas, Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month provides an excellent opportunity for citizens to learn more about preventing dating violence and to show support for the numerous organizations and individuals who provide critical advocacy, services and assistance to victims;

Now therefore be it, Resolved, That I, ________________, do hereby proclaim the month of February, 2010, as Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month in ____________.

Please send a copy of your Mayor or Governor's proclamation to
StopDatingViolence.org - The EMILY Fund
PO Box 430, Roosevelt, NJ 08555-0430
or send a scan to:
info@emilyfund.org or Fax to 1-888-247-1291

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

NATIONAL TEEN DATING ABUSE HELPLINE
1-866-331-9474

The National Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-SAFE (7233) and 800-787-3224 (TTY).

The National Sexual Assault Hotline
800-656-4673

Your tax-deductible donation
will help me reach my goal of distributing
1 Million Dating Pledge Cards


in honor of my daughter,
Emily Rachel Silverstein
(June 27, 1989-April 9, 2009)

T

Every $5 tax-deductible donation
allows me to reach over 200 young people

PROCLAMATIONS
& RESOLUTIONS

Sample
Proclamation

US Presidential
Proclamation 2011

US CONGRESS:
S. Res. 373

ALABAMA
Pelham
Roanoke

ALASKA
- Governor -
Dillingham

ARIZONA
- Governor -
Winslow

ARKANSAS
Booneville
Conway County
Greers Ferry
Morrillton
Perry County
Perryville
Pine Bluff
Warren

CALIFORNIA
- Legislature -
Beverly Hills
Hayward
Los Angeles
Oakland
West Hollywood

COLORADO
Fort Collins
Pueblo
Westminster

CONNECTICUT
-
Governor -
Berlin
Cromwell
East Haven
East Windsor
Franklin
Guilford
Manchester
Oxford
Preston
Seymour
Shelton
Sterling
Stratford
Windsor Locks

DELAWARE
- Governor -
- Legislature -
Bridgeville
Georgetown

Wilmington

D.C.
Washi
ngton DC

FLORIDA
Alucha County
Gainesville
Hernando County
Naples
Palm Bay
Palm Shores
Port Richey
West Palm Beach

GEORGIA
- Governor -

Alamo


IDAHO
- Governor -
Pocatello
Weiser

ILLINOIS
- Governor -
Blue Island
East Alton
Granite City
Hickory Hills
La Salle
Madison
Morton Grove
Posen
Red Bud
Rochelle
Rockford

IOWA
-
Governor -
Albia
Council Bluffs
Creston
Fairfield
Guttenberg

Lake City
Muscatine

KANSAS
Governor
St. Paul
Westwood

KENTUCKY
-
Governor -
Corydon
Lewis County
Louisville
Mason County

MAINE
- Governor -
South Portland

MARYLAND
- Governor -
Hampstead

MASSACHUSETTS
Attleboro
Beverly
Fall River
Leominster
Norton

MICHIGAN
- Governor -
Berkeley
Bloomfield Hills (2011)
Center Line
Farmington Hills
Hastings
Sandusky

MINNESOTA
- Governor -
Minneapolis

MISSISSIPPI
Magee
Poplarville

MISSOURI
-
Governor -

Carrollton
Exeter
Kennett
Lee's Summit
Marshall
Owensville

MONTANA
-
Governor -

NEBRASKA
Broken Bow
Gering
La Vista
Ralston

NEVADA
- Governor -
Fallon
Henderson
Yerington

NEW HAMPSHIRE
- Governor -

Seabrook

NEW JERSEY
Berkeley Township
Bloomfield
Caldwell
Camden
Dover
Hightstown
Jefferson
Leonia
Manchester Twp
Mannington
Morristown
North Bergen

NEW MEXICO
- New Mexico -
Alamogordo
Deming
Edgewood
Jemez Springs
Las Cruces
Lordsburg
Questa
Truth or Consequences

NEW YORK
- Governor -
Cortland
Fonda
Heuvelton
Lee
Potsdam
Port Chester

Watervliet
Wilson
Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany

NORTH CAROLINA
Clyde
Roanoke Rapids
Sanford

OHIO
- Governor -
Chardon
Lorain

Shelby
Toledo
Wickliffe

OKLAHOMA
- Governor -
Afton
Clinton
Claremore
Del City
Pryor
Sand Springs
Tahlequah
Warner

OREGON
Boardman
Gold Beach
Hillsboro
La Grande
Phoenix
Westfir

PENNSYLVANIA
- Governor -
-
Legislature -
Johnstown
Philadelphia
Williamsport

RHODE ISLAND
- Governor -
East Greenwich
Little Compton
Pawtucket
Richmond

Smithfield
South Kingstown
Warwick
Westerly

SOUTH CAROLINA
Andrews
Chesterfield County
Hartsville

James Island
Mount Pleasant
Newberry

SOUTH DAKOTA
- Governor -
Rapid City
Sioux Falls

TENNESSEE
Clarksville

Greeneville
Montgomery County


TEXAS
Allen
Anna
Arlington
Bedford
Boerne
Bonham
Dallas
Travis County

VERMONT
Newfane

VIRGINIA
Bristol
Buchanan County
Fredericksburg
Vinton

WASHINGTON
Chehalis
Sea Tac

WEST VIRGINIA
- Governor -

WISCONSIN
Waupaca

WYOMING
- Governor -
Green River
Upton
Marbleton
Midwest
Rawlins
Sundance
Wheatland

OTHER PROCLAMATIONS

October is
Domestic Violence Awareness Month

April is
Sexual Assault Awareness Month


Dating Pledge Cards

 

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Dating Pledge Cards
To distribute at your school
To help stop date violence...

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StopDatingViolence.org is a project of the 501c(3) The Emily Fund / The Emily Silverstein Fund, Inc.