CRANSTON, RI - Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline announced $791,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for a study on teen dating violence, which will be conducted at Rhode Island Hospital and will focus on aggressive attitudes among middle school-aged boys.

Rhode Island Hospital and Klein Buendel, Inc., a technology research company, will use the funds to study the effectiveness of web-based games and videos in limiting aggressiveness among 8th grade boys. Researchers will also examine how to foster better communication between boys and their parents; previous studies have shown that parental involvement can be a significant risk factor for dating violence. Test subjects will be drawn from the greater Providence area. Findings from the study will be reported to DOJ’s National Institute of Justice for use in research and programming on teen dating violence.

“Significant progress has been made in preventing domestic violence and going after offenders. Yet, recent high profile events remind us that domestic violence continues, so we still have a long way to go. These federal funds will help educate more young people about the need to end domestic violence and sexual assault and advance gender equality,” said Reed, who helped pass the Violence Against Women Act.

“I am happy to see federal funding coming to Rhode Island to research this serious problem,” said Whitehouse, who wrote a provision in the re-authorization of the Violence Against Woman Act (VAWA) to help reduce teen dating violence. “Too many women are subjected to violence as teenagers, and often at the hands of the young men they are dating. Better understanding its causes will help us reduce future incidence of violence and keep our kids safe.”

“Violence begets violence, and early signs of aggression can be an indicator that the pattern could continue in later years. By focusing on young men and addressing these violent behaviors early on, this program aims to stop the cycle of abuse before it starts,” said Langevin. “Teen dating violence is an all-too-common occurrence, and I applaud the Department of Justice’s efforts to identify and address its root cause.”

“Intimidation, stalking, and violence are unacceptable and especially alarming when they are part of our children’s relationships,” said Cicilline. “Families and communities need the information and training to stop teen dating violence and I commend Rhode Island Hospital for advancing these important efforts.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nine percent of students across the country have reported being physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past year.

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