Whereas, Studies have found that one in five teenagers in a serious relationship reported that they have been hit, slapped, or pushed by a partner; and,

Whereas, More than one in four teenagers have been in a relationship where a partner has been verbally abusive toward them; and,

Whereas, Thirty percent of teenagers in a dating relationship have received text messages throughout the day by a partner attempting to find out where they are, what they are doing, or who they are with; and,

Whereas, Forty percent of teenagers ages 11 or 12 report that a friend of theirs has been a victim of verbal abuse while in a relationship; and,

Whereas, Twenty-nine percent of teenage girls who have been in a relationship said that they have been pressured to have sex or engage in sexual activities that they did not want; and,

Whereas, Sixty-nine percent of all teenagers who had sex by the age of 14 said that they have experienced abuse, either verbal or physical, while in a relationship; and,

Whereas, The severity of violence among intimate partners has been shown to be greater in cases when patterns of violence has been established through adolescence; and,

Whereas, Violent relationships in adolescence can have serious ramifications since victims of violence have higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, suicide and adult re-victimization; and,

Whereas, A majority of parents surveyed either believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they do not know if it is an issue;

Now, Therefore, be it Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, governor of the state of Michigan, do hereby proclaim the week of February 2, 2009, Teen Dating Violence Awareness Prevention Week.  I encourage all parents to break the silence and to talk to their children about teen dating violence.