19-year
old Emily Rachel Silverstein was murdered by her ex-boyfriend
on April 9, 2009. It's not anything that she or we could ever
have imagined would happen. Fortunately murders are not very
common, but dating violence and abuse is. 1 in 3 teens
report that they have experienced physical, verbal, emotional
or sexual abuse. YOU can help raise awareness about this
serious issue, helping young people learn the warning signs
of date abuse, AND even more importantly, know what to
do to protect themselves if they are in an abusive relationship.
Please
help spread the word to stop dating violence. Get Free
Dating Pledge Cards to hand out. So far we've mailed out over 250,000
cards requested by domestic violence agencies, schools, parents and students in
all 50 states! The response
has been amazing. The cards are a simple, non-confrontational way to begin a conversation
about healthy relationships and dating abuse.
Dating
violence is one of 4 crimes included in the Violence Against Women Act
adopted by the US Congress. The other 3 crimes are domestic violence, sexual assault
and stalking. Violence against women is a serious problem in America. 3
women are murdered by an intimate partner every day in America and each year 4.8
million American women are physically assaulted!
To
help states, municipalities, agencies and individuals further the goals of the
Violence Against Women Act, the US Department of Justice's Office of Violence
Against Women has worked with Congress and the office of the President to establish
months designated to raise awareness about these four crimes included in the bill:
January is Stalking Awareness Month; February
is Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month; April
is Sexual Assault Awareness Month; and October is
Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
These
months provide the perfect opportunity to help educate your community and help
stop violence against women. Get Involved. Speak
Out. Help stop violence against women.
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 The
EMILY Fund - PO Box 430, Roosevelt, NJ 08555-0430, or send
a scan to info@StopDatingViolence.org
More
than 200 proclamations were declared for February 2010 -www.StopDatingViolence.org/dvam.htm
