Texas dating-violence laws get a "B" grade

Texas received the second most positive rating in an annual report released on Tuesday by a national teen-violence prevention organization.

"Break the Cycle" grades each state's laws protecting teenage victims of dating and domestic violence on an "A" through "F" scale. Texas' "B" grade did not change from the state's 2008 report card.

Texas scored a "B" because in this state victims of teen dating violence under the age of 18 are allowed to apply for a protective order if an adult accompanies them before a judge. The adult doesn't have to be a parent or family member. In states with "A" grades, like Oklahoma, teenagers 16 or older can seek a protective order without an adult.

Gloria Ocampo, of Brownsville's domestic abuse shelter Friendship of Women, says the state's legal protections for teens are appropriate. Her real concern is whether teens understand their rights and fully utilize the protections in place when they are being victimized.

"I think there is greater awareness than there used to be," said Ocampo, who is the assistant director of Friendship of Women. "But when 25 percent of kids report being victimized and 81 percent of parents said (in a survey) that teen dating violence wasn't an issue or admitted they didn't know it was an issue, we still need to work on getting the word out."

Ocampo says there has been one major change since the last report card came out: Under House Bill 121, Texas schools are now required to implement a dating violence policy. That policy must address safety concerns, how the school will help with the enforcement of protective orders, include in-school alternatives to protective orders, provide counseling for students, training for teachers, and include awareness education for parents.

Thanks to House Bill 121, the staff of Friendship of Women is now able go into local schools and talk with students about dating violence.

Still, Ocampo says, improvements could be made.

"On a personal level, I have a 12-year-old who attends public school. Not too long ago they sent a slip home asking permission for the students to attend a talk about sexuality," Ocampo said. "When my child came home, I asked how the talk went. And he told me that they had told them they couldn't talk to anyone about the film they saw or what was discussed. Imagine that - you drop all of this information on a child and then tell them they can't talk about it."

Ocampo says this attitude toward sexuality conditions children to avoid talking about their relationships.

"I think we need more open-mindedness in the schools so we can go in freely and talk to young people," Ocampo said. "We can't talk about sex because we might be liable for that. That needs to change because the students are (having sex) anyway."

Ocampo says that sexuality is often a key part of teen-dating violence. If a teen is being victimized by their partner, they might also be enduring date rape or other forms of sexual coercion. Students who feel afraid to talk about sex with teachers, Ocampo worries, will avoid talking about their relationships altogether.

 To see Break the Cycle's state-by-state report, visit www.breakthecycle.org.