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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Brendan F. Boyle |
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Boyle joins call for action on teen dating violence bill
HARRISBURG, Dec. 4 -- State Rep. Brendan F. Boyle, D-Phila./Montgomery, yesterday joined a news conference to urge House action on a bill he's co-sponsoring that would require public schools to provide education on teen dating violence.
"While domestic violence has gained greater attention in recent years, and rightly so, I believe teen dating violence is another part of domestic violence that we must address," Boyle said. "Philadelphia has taken steps to reduce teen dating violence, but it is time that we take action on a statewide level to have greater impact on this issue. Fortunately, I do not stand alone in my concerns over teen dating violence, and my colleagues and I are prepared to move this legislation forward."
The legislation (H.B. 2026) would integrate teen dating violence education into middle and high school curriculums, and would require school districts to develop an anti-dating violence policy.
Boyle said under the bill, school faculty and administrators would be taught about dating violence and how to recognize its warning signs. Schools would provide age-appropriate education into the classroom, including warning signs about dating violence and characteristics of healthy relationships.
Under a proposed amendment, H.B. 2026 would be named the "Demi Brae Cuccia Law." Boyle noted that the news conference coincided with Liz Claiborne Inc.'s sixth annual "It's Time to Talk Day," which raises awareness of domestic violence.
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