A resolution designating the week of February 6, 2006 as "National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week".

Mr. President, I rise to submit a resolution in a critical and too often overlooked subject--teen dating violence. For many decades the tragic crime of domestic violence in the United States went largely unacknowledged by the public face that our society wears. Behind smiling couples and seemingly carefree children lurked something that was better left unspoken, or so many were convinced. Fortunately, in recent years, this dreadful violence that makes a home a prison where rights, human dignity and freedom are eclipsed by fear and rage is now something that society is more willing to acknowledge, talk about and report to proper authorities. As we expose domestic violence to the light of truth and hold perpetrators accountable for their violent actions and destructive words, it is important to address the reality of the transgenerational nature of this crime within families.

I've always liked the adage, ``Children learn what they live.'' Never is this more true than in the case of abuse and domestic violence. When children begin to enter their teen years, the relationship norms they learned watching those in parental roles become their own. The results in many junior high, high schools, and colleges across our Nation are chilling: 20 percent of surveyed male students reported witnessing someone they go to high school with physically hit a person they were dating; 58 percent of rape victims report having been raped between the ages of 12-24; 81 percent of parents surveyed either believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they don't know if it is an issue; There is a clear link between adolescent dating violence and adult marital violence.

Clearly, the crime of teen dating violence, including physical, emotional, and sexual assault, is a reality for many American teenagers. Like drug abuse, it's a reality of which many parents are unaware. It makes sense to have the people most affected by this insidious disease leading the efforts to raise awareness of and prevent the further spread of it.

The Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Initiative is a movement spearheaded by teenagers across the nation to make a stand and put a stop to teen dating violence. Led by the American Bar Association's Steering Committee on the Unmet Needs of Children and co- sponsored by dozens of other organizations, teenagers from 20 State Teams attended a national awareness and education summit in 2004. At that time, they developed Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Awareness Toolkits to distribute to high schools across the Nation in conjunction with a proposed National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week in early 2006.

Today, I am submitting a resolution declaring February 6-10, 2006, National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week. Many governors, the Department of Education and the Department of Justice have already pledged to work with the goals and activities that are part of the Initiative. This resolution calls on government representatives and agencies, private organizations and public officials to promote activities in their respective communities that raise awareness of the high incidence of teen dating violence that occurs among our teens every day, as well as prevention strategies. I thank my colleagues, Senators Cantwell, Murray, Lieberman, Murkowski, Durbin, Akaka and Biden in joining me in raising awareness of the problem. This is one major step we can take toward the goal of eliminating the tragedy of children hurting children, and I am privileged to be in a position to help lead this effort.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 275.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.