STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
_____
JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING FEBRUARY 2026 AS TEEN
DATING VIOLENCE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION MONTH
WHEREAS, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or
CDC, teen dating violence includes 4 types of behavior: physical violence, sexual violence,
psychological aggression and stalking; and
WHEREAS, according to the National Institute of Justice, technology-facilitated abuse is
a growing social malady contributing to increased psychological aggression among teens; and
WHEREAS, technology-facilitated abuse includes, but is not limited to, cyber extortion,
cyberstalking and doxing; and
WHEREAS, according to the Cyberbullying Research Center, over 1/4 of teens who had
been in a romantic relationship at some point in the previous year said they had been the victim
of at least one form of digital dating abuse; and
WHEREAS, while dating violence, domestic violence, sexual violence and stalking affect
individuals regardless of age, teens are especially vulnerable; and
WHEREAS, according to the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, almost half of teens
experienced at least one type of violence, and one in 7 teens experienced at least 2 types of
violence; and
WHEREAS, one in 9 female and one in 36 male high school students report having
experienced sexual dating violence in the last year; and
WHEREAS, the CDC reported that nearly one in 11 female teens and about one in 15
male teens reported experiencing physical dating violence in the last year; and
WHEREAS, teaching teens about the consequences of intimate partner violence and
supporting the development of healthy, respectful and nonviolent relationships have the
potential to decrease teen dating violence in future generations; and
WHEREAS, educating middle school students and their parents about the importance of
building healthy relationships and preventing teen dating violence is key to deterring abuse
before it begins; and
WHEREAS, according to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey of
the CDC, 80% of female rape victims experienced their first rape before 25 years of age and
almost half experienced their first rape before 18 years of age; and
WHEREAS, according to the same National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence
Survey, 26% of women and 15% of men who were victims of sexual violence, physical
violence or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime first experienced these or other
forms of violence by that partner before 18 years of age; and
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 WHEREAS, approximately 35% of women who were raped as minors were also raped as
adults; and
WHEREAS, developing healthy relationship practices and standards in youth under 18
years of age can be critical to eliminating sexual violence and other forms of intimate partner
violence; and
WHEREAS, teen dating violence is a preventable public health crisis that can negatively
impact teens and youth, and teens who have experienced dating violence are more than twice
as likely as others to consider suicide; and
WHEREAS, the CDC indicates that there are several community factors, including
poverty, lack of institutions, relationships and norms that shape a community's social
interactions, poor neighborhood support and cohesion, weak community sanctions against
intimate partner violence and high alcohol outlet density, that place individuals at greater risk
for perpetrating intimate partner violence; and
WHEREAS, the CDC also indicates that community factors, such as neighborhood
collective efficacy and coordination of resources and services among community agencies, may
reduce an individual's risk of perpetrating intimate partner violence; and
WHEREAS, primary prevention programs are a key part of addressing teen dating
violence, and many successful examples of such programs include education, community
outreach and social marketing campaigns that are culturally appropriate; and
WHEREAS, evidence-based programs such as the Coaching Boys Into Men program
have demonstrated that teaching adolescent men how to have healthy and nonviolent
relationships may increase positive bystander behavior and prevent adolescent men from
becoming perpetrators of teen dating violence; and
WHEREAS, the federal Violence Against Women Act of 1994, as amended by the
Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 and the Consolidated Appropriations
Act, 2022, includes the SMART Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Act, which
improves the coordination and effectiveness of programs to address abusive youth
relationships; and
WHEREAS, skilled assessment and intervention programs are necessary for youth
victims and abusers; and
WHEREAS, the designation of the month of February 2026 as Teen Dating Violence
Awareness and Prevention Month will benefit schools, communities and families regardless of
socioeconomic status, race and sex; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: We, the Members of the One Hundred and Thirty-second Legislature now
assembled in the Second Regular Session, on behalf of the people we represent, take this
occasion to:
1. Designate February 2026 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month;
2. Express our support for communities in empowering teens to develop healthy
relationships throughout their lives;
3. Recognize the impact of teen dating violence on public health and its specific and
disproportionate impact on young women; and
4. Call on the people of the State, including youth, parents, schools, law enforcement, state
and local officials, nonprofit organizations and interested groups to observe Teen Dating
Violence Awareness and Prevention Month with appropriate programs and activities that
promote awareness and prevention of teen dating violence.
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