PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

I would like to thank everyone for their support and efforts to sign the petition that had the capacity to protect everyone in a dating relationship should the relationship become violent.  House Bill 35 passed!  I am so pleased to share this information with you.  Kentucky House Bill 35 expands the protective order statute to  allow persons who are dating, or have dated, but who have never lived together, and do not have a child in  common, to petition for protective orders.  The bill also expands the warrantless arrest statute to cover all persons in a dating relationship.  Physical and sexual abuse is the most often talked about piece of dating abuse, but dating abuse doesn’t have to be physical. It can include verbal and emotional abuse and controlling behaviors.  In addition, as technologies like cell phones and social networking become the norm for communication, they can also be used to further abuse and control.

Remember this month is dating violence awareness month.  Teen dating violence is a silent epidemic.  One in three teens experience some form of abuse and most who do, never report it.  You can help raise awareness for teen dating violence by wearing a heart sticker on your sleeve the whole month of February. 

Thanks for all you do to raise awareness and prevent violence in our communities!