1 in 3 young people experience dating abuse
3 women are murdered by an intimate partner every day in America!

4.8 million American women are physically assaulted every year!

Violence against women has long been a widespread but little known epidemic affecting local, national and international communities alike. But now people like you and me are speaking out about this serious issue, and by raising awareness, are helping to stop violence against women.

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 President to establish months designated to raise awareness about the 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.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month has been observed for years. 2010's Senate Resolution for Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month, and the widespread observance by states and municipalities helped raise attention about violence against women to a whole new level. At least 48 Governors and nearly 1000 municipalities declared proclamations last year, providing inspiration and opportunities for bringing communities together to address this serious issue. (At least 27 Governors and over 200 municipalities in 45 states declared proclamations and resolutions for February's Dating Violence Awareness Month; over 200 proclamations were again declared for April's Sexual Assault Awareness Month; at least 35 Governors and 450 municipalities declared proclamations for October's Domestic Violence Awareness Month.)

I learned about violence against women the hard way - my 19 year old daughter Emily was murdered by her ex-boyfriend on April 9, 2009. Please help lead the way to ending violence against women by raising YOUR voice against violence against women.

There are many things that YOU can do to help raise awareness about dating abuse and violence against women. Here are some ideas:

1) Write to your Mayor and Governor and ask them to join other leaders across the nation in declaring a proclamation for one of the 4 awareness months. In most cases, all it takes is a school or nonprofit organization to request it and provide a sample proclamation! (Please ask them to send a copy to The EMILY Fund, PO Box 430, Roosevelt, NJ 08555-0430, or send a scan to info@emilyfund.org or fax to: 1-888-247-1291 so that it can be posted on the Internet to inspire other communities to do the same.)

2) If your town or state has declared a proclamation, let your local newspaper know about it and why dating violence awareness is important.

3) Wear a heart on your sleeve (print out free designs at the Have a Heart Campaign website) or a purple ribbon (or teal ribbon for Sexual Assault Awareness Month) and when people ask you about it, let them know why dating violence awareness and preventing violence against women is important to you.

4) Create or print out posters about ending violence against women to display at school or around your community.

5) Participate in the National Dating Pledge Challenge to Stop Dating Violence - hand out FREE Dating Pledge cards.

6) Set up a table on campus or during lunch to hand out Dating Pledge cards and other educational materials about dating abuse and dating violence.

7) Urge your school to establish a Dating Violence Policy if there isn't one already in place.

8) Urge your school to establish a year-round Dating Violence Awareness education program (Download FREE Love Is Not Abuse Dating Violence curriculum).

9) Find out more about the Lindsay Ann Burke Act requiring schools to provide dating violence awareness resources to all students. At least 6 states have already passed bills - has yours?

10) Participate in a Healthy Relationship Peer Education Program, or if there isn't one at your school, work with your school or a local domestic violence agency to establish one.

11) Find out more:

* The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline: LoveIsRespect.org

* MADE: Moms And Dads for Education to Stop Teen Dating Abuse: Loveisnotabuse.com/made

* Break The Cycle: BreakTheCycle.org

* Choose Respect: ChooseRespect.org

* Dating Abuse Stops Here : DatingAbuseStopsHere.org

* Demi Brae Cuccia Awareness Organization: DemiBrae.com

* Give Respect (Family Violence Prevention Fund): GiveRespect.org

* Jennifer Ann's Group: JenniferAnn.org

* Lindsay Ann Burke Memorial Fund: labmf.org

* Love Is Not Abuse: LoveIsNotAbuse.com

* National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (List of State Coalitions): ncadv.org/resources/StateCoalitionList.php

* National Domestic Violence Hotline: ndvh.org

* National Sexual Violence Resource Center: nsvrc.org

* Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network: rainn.org

* SAFE & RESPECTFUL Relationships For All: SafeAndRespectful.org

 

 

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

NATIONAL TEEN DATING ABUSE HELPLINE
1-866-331-9474

The National Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-SAFE (7233) and 800-787-3224 (TTY).

The National Sexual Assault Hotline
800-656-4673

 

Your tax-deductible donation
will help me reach my goal of distributing
1 Million Dating Pledge Cards


in honor of my daughter,
Emily Rachel Silverstein
(June 27, 1989-April 9, 2009)

T

Every $5 tax-deductible donation
allows me to reach over 200 young people

 

PROCLAMATIONS
& RESOLUTIONS

In 2010
OVER 900
MUNICIPALITIES
and
48 GOVERNORS
declared
proclamations & resolutions

for
Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month in February

Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April

October's Domestic Violence Awareness Month


 

 

Dating Pledge Cards

 

 

Order
Dating Pledge Cards
To distribute at your school
To help stop date violence...

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StopDatingViolence.org is a project of the 501c(3) The Emily Fund / The Emily Silverstein Fund, Inc.