Res. No. 880

Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to implement a uniform curriculum on healthy relationships for the purpose of domestic violence prevention in all schools.

By Council Members Torres, Cumbo, Chin, Gentile, Mealy, Mendez, Richards, Rose and Cohen

Whereas, Domestic violence is a serious problem in New York City, with New York City Police responding to 280,531 domestic violence incidents and the City’s Domestic Violence Hotline answering 99,719 calls in 2013, according to the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence’s Annual Fact Sheet 2013; and

Whereas, According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance survey conducted by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among the 73.9% of students nationwide who dated or went out with someone during the 12 months before the survey, 10.3% were subjected to physical violence by someone they were dating or going out with one or more times in 2013; and

Whereas, This study reported that 10.5% of New York City students experienced physical dating violence in 2013, an estimated total of 34,585 that year; and

Whereas, According to the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence (the “Office”) Teen Dating Violence Fact Sheet 2013, among adult victims of rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner, 22.4% of women and 15% of men first experienced some form of partner violence between 11 and 17 years of age;

Whereas, In 2007, the Office also reported that 16,861 teen calls were received by the City’s Domestic Violence Hotline; and

Whereas, According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), each year in New York City, approximately 4,000 women and 900 men are treated in emergency rooms for intimate partner violence related injuries; and

Whereas, According to the New York City DOHMH, about 40% of women killed in New York City each year are killed by their intimate partners; and

Whereas, According to an analysis of the New York City DOHMH’s Injury Surveillance System data from 2000-2007, 160 women between ages of 15 and 19 visited an emergency room department because of injuries resulting from intimate partner violence; and

Whereas, Under New York State Law and Regulations of the Commissioner, all schools under the jurisdiction of the State Education Department must provide a program of health and physical education including health and safety education; and

Whereas, The New York City Department of Education (DOE) provides a multi-level Health Education Curricula that is aligned with New York State health education standards and provided free of charge to NYC DOE teachers; and

Whereas, The DOE health curricula for Middle and High Schools, called HealthSmart, provides a comprehensive health education curriculum encompassing matters of dating and domestic violence; and

Whereas, The DOE recommends but does not require all schools to use the HealthSmart curricula, instead requiring schools choosing not to use the curricula to use an NYSED Guidance Document to select a curricula meeting health education requirements ; and

Whereas, Not requiring the same curricula in every school creates potential curriculum gaps, including but not limited to domestic violence education and prevention; and

Whereas, Teen domestic violence continues to be a problem faced by many youths; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the New York City Department of Education to implement a uniform curriculum on healthy relationships for the purpose of domestic violence prevention in all schools.

LS #3198

ML/JA

1/15/15