John Coté recently reported about the start of a 24 hour teen violence hotline:
Females between the ages of 16 and 24 are more vulnerable to intimate partner violence than any other age group — at a rate almost triple the national average, according to a 2001 U.S. Department of Justice report.
About 1 in 3 teenagers reported knowing a friend or peer who had been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked or physically hurt by their partner, according to a February 2005 study on teen dating abuse from Teenage Research Unlimited, a national research firm specializing in youth.
“It’s something that we cannot ignore any longer,” said Sheryl Cates, chief executive officer of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The organization, a nonprofit that provides crisis intervention and information for domestic violence victims, is launching the first 24-hour, national call-in service that focuses on teen dating violence.
The launch of the teen hot line and a related Web site is expected to be announced today, and it coincides with an effort dubbed “Love Is Not Abuse” to educate teens about preventing dating violence and how to seek help.
Hopefully, this 24-hour national call-in service will prevent teen violence. A hotline may offer the perhaps inexperienced teens the advice, help, and information required to avoid teen violence and abusive relationships.
what do you think?
