Res. No. 592

Resolution calling upon the State to pass a law requiring that schools provide instruction on domestic violence and sexual assault in grades 7-12. 

By Council Members Lopez, Boyland, Barron, Clarke, Fidler, Foster, Jackson, Liu, Martinez, Perkins, Quinn, Recchia, Seabrook, Stewart, Weprin, Baez, Brewer, Comrie, Gennaro, Gonzalez, James, Koppell, Nelson, Palma, Rivera, Sanders and Vann

Whereas, Domestic violence is defined as behavior which involves physical, sexual, economic and/or emotional abuse by an intimate partner of the same or different sex for the purpose of establishing and maintaining power; and

Whereas, According to the Mayor’s 2002 Management Report (MMR), 225,987 domestic violence incidents were reported in New York City in 2002; and

Whereas, According to a 1999 publication by the Commonwealth Fund Survey, nearly one-third of American women (31%) report being physically or emotionally abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives; and

Whereas, Additionally, Safe Horizon reports that during 2002, 39% of the calls received by the New York City domestic violence hotline were from African-American and Carribeans and 31% were from Latinos, and according to the 2002 book, “Violence Against Women” by Raj and Silveramen, recent studies show that 30 - 50% of Latina, South Asian and Korean immigrants have been sexually or physically victimized by a male intimate partner; and

Whereas, Organizations participating in the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs reported 4,048 cases of domestic violence affecting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals in 2000, which marked a 29.7 % increase in such incidents, and

Whereas, Furthermore, growing up in a violent home adversely affects children - both boys and girls - physically, emotionally and cognitively; and

Whereas, According to “The Overlap Between Child Maltreatment and Women Abuse,” by Jeffrey L. Edleson, PhD, studies show that children are being physically abused in approximately half the families where the mother is a known victim of domestic assault, and in homes where spousal abuse occurs, children are abused at a rate 1500% higher than the national average; and

Whereas, According to the book entitled “Ending the Cycle of Violence and Community Responses to Children of Battered Women,” edited by E. Peled, et. al., studies have shown that children who witness domestic violence are more likely to exhibit emotional, behavioral, physical and health problems, including depression, anxiety and violence toward peers, attempt suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, engage in teenage prostitution and commit sexual assault crimes; and 

Whereas, According to the testimony of the Director of the New York City Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence, studies show that witnessing domestic violence in the home can impact a child’s ability to learn in school and increase a child’s risk of being a victim or batterer as an adult; and

Whereas, According to clinical evaluations, students who grow up in violent homes are more likely to be absent from school because they fear leaving a relative at home with an abusive family member, thus affecting such children’s educational development; and

Whereas, According to the 2001 Journal of the American Medical Association, in a survey of over four thousand ninth through twelfth graders, approximately 1 in 5 female students reported being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner, indicating that domestic violence affects our nation’s students; and

Whereas, Although teaching children about domestic violence can transform their lives, it is often ignored as policymakers focus instead on increasing arrests and punishing offenders; and

Whereas, Domestic violence is an insidious crime that, to address properly, requires fundamental changes in societal attitudes and values and these values can most effectively be taught to children in grades 7-12; and

Whereas, Section 804 of the Education Law requires that all schools include instruction that discourages the misuse and abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and promotes attitudes and behavior that enhance health, well being and human dignity; and

Whereas, Teaching children about domestic violence and how to cope with domestic violence situations will enhance the health, well-being and human dignity of each student and will stop patterns of abusive behavior; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the State to pass a law requiring that schools provide instruction on domestic violence and sexual assault in grades 7-12; and be it further

Resolved, That such curriculum should include various definitions of domestic violence including the many manifestations of domestic violence and sexual assault; address how domestic violence and sexual assault affects victims, abusers, family members and other members of society; discuss the insidiousness and illegality of such behavior; and provide contact information for organizations that assist victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

GRS

LS# 1439  

04/03/03