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Guidelines for Schools on Addressing Teen Dating Violence

I am pleased to provide you with these revised guidelines which contain important information for schools to use in their efforts to address teen dating violence. The guidelines were revised by the Teen Dating Violence Working Group of the Community Education Sub-Committee of the Governor's Commission on Domestic Violence. All of the information is based on research, the law, and on the experience of communities and school districts that received Teen Dating Violence Intervention and Prevention Program funding.

These guidelines will aid districts in developing policies and procedures for addressing violations of the laws pertaining to dating violence and sexual assault, and help to ensure that schools are complying with restraining orders between students. Included are examples of policies developed by Mentor schools and a summary of the Program Specifications from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for Intervention with Adolescent Perpetrators of Teen Dating Violence.

Neither these guidelines nor school based policies should take the place of reporting illegal activities to the police.

For additional information, resources, and technical assistance please feel free to contact Naomi Freedner at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at 781-338-6308 or Carole Sousa at 617-492-0395.

I encourage you to use these materials and to disseminate them widely. Thank you very much for your work in this important area.

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