| ACCD
News & Events
Texas
Attorney General Releases Survey Results, Launches
Statewide "Red Flags" Campaign at PAC
For
Immediate Release
August 28, 2006
Contact: Vincent Bosquez, Director of Public Relations,
Palo Alto College
(210) 921-5269
vbosquez@accd.edu
Pictured:
Attorney General Abbott Launches Red Flags Campaign—
[L to R] Dr. Ana M. “Cha” Guzman, PAC
President; Sheryl Cates, TCFV Executive Director;
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott; and Marta B. Pelaez,
Family Violence Prevention Services, Inc., President,
join forces to release results from the first-ever
statewide survey on dating violence, and launch a
“Red Flags” awareness campaign.
Photo
by Mario Ramirez
Students
attending the first day of classes at Palo Alto College
saw more than new instructors and classmates as Texas
Attorney General Greg Abbott stopped by the Student
Center to release results from the first statewide
survey on dating violence among teens and young adults,
Aug. 28.
According
to Abbott and the Texas Council on Family Violence
(TCFV), 50 percent out of 900 young Texans polled
reported having personally experienced dating violence,
whether as the target or the abuser. Other results
noted that two out of five teens and young adults
said they’ve experienced verbal abuse; one out
of four reported physical violence; and one out of
five reported sexual violence.
“Dating
violence is a pervasive problem that affects young
Texans of all ethnic and educational backgrounds,”
Abbott said. “It is imperative that we prevent
further teens and young adults from having these experiences
while offering help and solutions to those who are
currently in unhealthy or dangerous situations.”
To tackle
this problem and educate young Texans about the characteristics
of healthy relationships, TCFV also launched a public
awareness project at PAC called “Red Flags.”
The project, funded by the Office of the Texas Attorney
General and the Texas Health and Human Services commission,
delivers the messages of “Control Isn’t
Love” and “Red Flags: Know When to Raise
Them” through online and community outreach
programs.
The Red
Flags Website, www.knowtheredflags.com, is full of
relationship quizzes, warning signs, advice and scenarios
designed to guide teens and young adults in discussing
dating violence issues and making safe plans for dealing
with or leaving unhealthy relationships. The site
also aims to educate young Texans about healthy behaviors
like being honest with each other, trusting each other
when apart, and feeling safe to express feelings—which
survey respondents rated as their top three most valued
characteristics in a relationship.
Data for
the statewide survey was conducted on behalf of TCFV
by GCI Read-Poland and Equation Research. All respondents
were unmarried and between the ages of 16 and 24.
Respondents were randomly drawn to reflect a sample
representative of the Texas population.
Palo Alto
College is a fully accredited community college located
on the Southside, and awards associate degrees, short-term
certificates and offers non-credit continuing education
classes. The college is recognized nationally for
its high transfer rate. The campus is located at 1400
W. Villaret Blvd. at I-410 South and Texas Hwy. 16
or online at <www.accd.edu/pac>.
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