Editorial: Lindsay Anne Burke Act helps prevent teen violence

‘ ‘ ‘ Rhode Islander Geraldo Martinez abducted and murdered his girlfriend, 23-year-old Lindsay… ‘ ‘ ‘ Rhode Islander Geraldo Martinez abducted and murdered his girlfriend, 23-year-old Lindsay Burke, in 2005. According to Burke’s mother, the relationship had been strained for a long time, and she had suspicions about Martinez, which were only confirmed after her daughter’s death. But now, a new Rhode Island law named the Lindsay Ann Burke Act will help use the incident to teach others about the hazards of abusive relationships. ‘ ‘ ‘ The law requires all public middle and high schools to teach students about dating violence as part of regular curriculum between seventh and 12th grades and to adopt a policy of zero tolerance toward dating violence in or out of school. ‘ ‘ ‘ According to a Bureau of Justice report, people between the ages of 18 to 24 make up only 11.7 percent of the population of the country, but account for nearly 42 percent of cases of violence committed by a girlfriend or boyfriend. Similarly, 50 to 80 percent of teens report knowing someone in a violent relationship, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime. ‘ ‘ ‘ Thus, a law that targets teens at a young age, before many of them have begun to form serious relationships, seems to be the right course. Seventh grade might look young to start education about dating violence, but many students between the ages of 13 and 15 report having been in a relationship, and 13 percent have already had sexual intercourse by the age of 15. ‘ ‘ ‘ So, should Pennsylvania consider adopting a similar proposal? The answer is almost definitely, but there are certain things that do cause concern in the Rhode Island law’s current form. ‘ ‘ ‘ Probably the most worrisome aspect is the extra burden that it places on school districts. The law mandates that each school district create its own dating violence policy, with age-appropriate tiers to be incorporated into every year’s health class curriculum. The law also expects schools to train teachers in dating violence recognition and prevention. ‘ ‘ ‘ If there’s one thing that the No Child Left Behind Act has taught us, it’s that many U.S. schools are tragically underfunded and understaffed. In many cases, health programs, alongside extracurricular activities and electives, are the first to suffer from a lack of funds. ‘ ‘ ‘ Placing a heavier burden on these programs could pose problems in terms of how effectively school districts can implement the law’s mandates, especially considering the act makes no provision for extra funds for schools to purchase educational materials or expand their health programs. ‘ ‘ ‘ There could also be problems with parents, especially if a school’s program incorporates sexual violence. Many parents are unwilling to let their children learn about sex in school, as the prevalence of abstinence-only and’ opt-out sex ed programs can attest to. ‘ ‘ ‘ In short, the Lindsay Ann Burke Act is a huge step forward for the recognition and prevention of domestic violence among teens, but the law as it stands has some serious problems that need to be addressed before it can be applicable across the country. But assuming these concerns are dealt with before Pennsylvania or any other state adopts a similar law, it could significantly affect the prevalence of dating violence among teens in the United States.