Wednesday, December 09, 2009

It's Time to Talk: A Series of Discussions with People Who are Making a Difference Regarding Domestic Violence and Teen Dating Abuse:  Discussion 5 of 7 - Senator Beatrice A. Lanzi, District 26, Cranston - Rhode Island Senate





Senator Lanzi is the primary Senate sponsor of the Lindsay Burke Act, the first in the nation that requires schools to provide dating violence education for students in middle school and high school. Senator Lanzi also has a long history of supporting anti-violence initiatives in a variety of sectors. 

She was clear in making the point that teen dating and domestic violence ,"...is not a family issue, it is a crime".  I thought that was an important point to make since many people object to government regulation within the household.  If one recognizes that it is a crime, it becomes much easier to prosecute.

Senator Lanzi quoted statistics that " 1 in 3" teenagers were exposed to domestic violence either in their own homes or through their own peer and community relationships.

Her commitment to this issue came through loud and clear.  With all the things our political representatives have to think about, it is nice to know that at least one Senator is still thinking about our children.

Just a Note:  Take a look at the Lindsey Burke Memorial Page if you have any doubts in your mind what an important issue this really is!

“I received a $50 Juicy Couture gift card in conjunction with participating in Liz Claiborne’s “It’s Time To Talk” day.”








1 comment:

Cynthia said...

That's a lot to think about! I think teaching children about this and raising their awareness is a great idea. So many times kids that age withhold information from parents etc. but their peers may have a better view of what is going on and can start the process for help if they KNOW what to watch for.

My oldest are only 9 but as we have initiated "the talk" with them (a series of talks really) I hadn't thought about bringing this up. Thanks for defining a new context for me so that I realize I NEED to talk about this issue with them.

Oh- and thanks for visiting my blog- you are fun!