Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A bill introduced in the New York State Legislature is calling for schools to create a teen dating violence prevention program. One local Assemblymember is among the bill's co-sponsors.
Assemblyman Pat Chludzinski says this legislation specifies that the prevention program includes age-appropriate curriculum, lesson plans, and best practices for students, parents, and school personnel to promote teen dating violence prevention.
The model curriculum would contain instructional resources on healthy relationship behaviors, recognizing the warning signs of teen dating violence, and local community resources available to teens in abusive relationships.
"This bill was originally brought to my attention back in April when I had a Zoom meeting from Albany with Mr. Haley's government class from the [Cleveland] Hill High School in Cheektowaga and as part of their government class," said Chuldzinski in an interview with WBEN. "We talked about this bill, I researched it, and because it's a good, common sense bill, I jumped on as a sponsor."
Chludzinski, a former Cheektowaga police detective and school resource officer, says teen dating violence happens more often than you think.
"I was in charge of our domestic violence unit, so I would see firsthand the experiences of some of our younger children in our community that were having some of these domestic violence issues," said Chludzinski. "And I just thought this would be a great idea to have this incorporated into health classes in New York State to try and prevent some of these incidents, and have a training for our students and resources for healthy relationships for our students."
He adds that according to the CDC, 1-in-12 high school students report being physically abused by a dating partner. 1-in-10 have experienced sexual violence from a dating partner within the past year.
Experience taught Chludzinski that the high school prom season, upcoming summer breaks and graduations are all events in the lives of young people that can change their perspectives and their behaviors, making teen dating violence prevention and education, and passage of this bill, even more timely and necessary.
While Chludzinski doesn't see this advancing to pass this session, it could happen next year.
"I believe that if we get more members on board and advocate for this policy, that we can make it advance and maybe get it across the finish line within the next year," Chludzinski said.