GRAND ISLAND, NY (WKBW) — Assemblyman Patrick Chludzinski is advocating for a statewide school-based violence prevention program to address teenage dating violence.
The proposal comes in light of alarming statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicating that approximately 1 in 12 teenagers has experienced physical violence in a relationship, while 1 in 10 has faced sexual violence. Additionally, 1 in 3 teens are victims of domestic violence.
"Statistically, 1 in 3 teens are a victim of domestic violence," Kelly Gast from the Family Justice Center said.
She emphasized the critical need for education on identifying healthy versus abusive relationships.
“We have to do a better job to get in front of them, to let them know the signs of a healthy relationship," Gast said.
Chludzinski, who has experience as a school resource officer, highlighted the importance of education in preventing teens from entering harmful relationships.
"You see quite a few cases where it is younger high school-aged and college-aged adults that are experiencing this," he said. "The education they could receive could help prevent them from being in some of these relationships."
WATCH: 'Know the signs': Assemblyman pushes for statewide teen dating violence prevention program
In Grand Island, the school district is already implementing a healthy relationship toolkit for its students. Health classes focus on discussing various scenarios, including identifying “red flags” that indicate unhealthy relationships and “green flags” that signify healthy ones.
"I do recognize the importance of our students having this information prior to graduation," said Hillary Kretz Harvey, the Grand Island High School Principal. “We take this very seriously in our high school.”
Chludzinski aims to advance his proposal and hopes to have the bill passed by the end of the current legislative session, seeking to enhance education and awareness regarding teen dating violence across New York State.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
