http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/2012/2012_03_22_File%20LN%20120323%20restraining%20order.wav.mp3
Tomorrow, members of the Judiciary Committee will consider a bill that strengthens protections for domestic violence victims. As WNPR's Lucy Nalpathanchil reports, a portion of the legislation aims to help teens in abusive relationships.
In 2009, ten percent of teens surveyed by the state health department had been in a physically violent relationship. Seventeen percent had been emotionally abused by the person they've dated.
These statistics led teens in Stamford and Norwalk to study ways to combat the problem.
17 year old junior, Mallory Ham participates in the Center for Youth Leadership or CYL at Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk.
"I've heard so many different stories about teen dating violence relationships and I think it's something that no one deserves to go through."
Ham says CYL and the Mayor's Youth Leadership Council in Stamford will testify at the public hearing to recommend that lawmakers make a change in existing law related to when school administrators are first notified about restraining or protective orders against a student.
"Usually restraining orders are only sent when the existing one is violated and then it's sent to the school. We're trying to focus on getting it sent to the school right away."
Currently the bill gives a court clerk permission, at the request of the victim, to fax the restraining or protective orders to the school principal. But Ham says that raises privacy issues. They recommend allowing victims and their parents to personally give the information to school administrators or have the orders mailed directly to them.
And that the information is shared with pertinent staff like a guidance counselor or security guard.
CYL is also working on with boards of education to find ways to keep teens with restraining or protective orders against them out of the same classes as their victims.
