Teen dating violence is a public health crisis in the United States, with 1 in 5 female students and 1 in 10 male students experiencing physical and/or sexual dating violence alone.
We know that developing unhealthy relationship practices as a young adult can have lifelong, negative impacts on health, including increased risk for depression, anxiety, and drug and alcohol abuse. Moreover, experiencing teen dating violence increases the likelihood for becoming a victim of domestic violence in adulthood.
To break this generational cycle of abuse and trauma, our legislature must join the nearly 25 other states around the country that have taken action to address this crisis by implementing dating violence prevention curricula in schools across Wisconsin.
Call your legislators today and urge them to sign on as co-sponsors of LRB-2441/1, relating to teen dating violence prevention!
This bipartisan bill will help prevent teen dating violence in Wisconsin by:
• Requiring the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to collaborate with stakeholders and other state agencies to create model policies for preventing and responding to teen dating violence in schools;
• Requiring DPI to incorporate teen dating violence curriculum into its model health problems education curriculum and to provide age-appropriate instruction for pupils once between 6th and 8th grades, and again between 9th and 12th grades;
• Allowing school boards to adopt the DPI’s model curriculum, or to develop its own similar curriculum to address teen dating violence.
To take action, find your legislators’ contact info by entering your address into the search bar here, and tell them to support this critical legislation that will keep Wisconsin youth safe from dating violence. You can use the following script for your calls and emails:
___________________________________________________________________________
Hello,
My name is YOUR NAME and I am an advocate/survivor/concerned citizen who wants to see the legislature take action to prevent teen dating violence in our state.
1 in 5 teens in Wisconsin is a victim of dating violence, it’s past time for the legislature to take action to address this public health crisis.
Please sign on to LRB-2441/1, a bi-partisan bill that will help to break the cycle of domestic abuse in Wisconsin before it starts.
Thank you,
YOUR NAME
CITY, WI
_______________________________________________________________________
Thank you for your assistance on this important advocacy opportunity. Your calls and emails make a HUGE difference!
With gratitude,
The End Abuse Policy Team