Description of Collaborative Activity: |
The idea for the group developed out of a workshop on teen dating violence that the National Institute of Justice, an agency in the Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice, hosted in July 2006. In addition to researchers and practitioners in the field, representatives from several Federal agencies were invited to the workshop. The Federal representatives who attended the workshop decided that it would be mutually beneficial to continue meeting and eventually formed a working group of all Federal agencies with an interest in understanding and preventing teen dating violence. The group is intended to be a forum for information sharing, cooperation, and collaboration. The Violence Against Women Act of 2005 includes a new emphasis on addressing teen dating violence. Recognizing that adolescents experience high rates of sexual assault and intimate partner violence, the Act provides for the provision of education and services to children and youth. The Workgroup is attentive to the congressional mandate to address teen dating violence. The first meeting of the Workgroup was held in September 2006 and meetings are quarterly. One goal of the group is to keep each other informed about teen dating violence efforts and initiatives in each of our agencies. Another goal is to develop collaborative projects that encourage the pooling of resources to combat relationship abuse and violence among adolescents. The Workgroup currently has 30 active participants, representing 19 Federal agencies. The members of the Workgroup hope that we can count on our agencies to support our collaborative efforts, including the ongoing sharing of information, continued attendance at meetings, and consideration of support for proposed ideas that come out of the Workgroup. |
Type of Collaborative Activity: |
Committee, Advisory Group, or Work Group
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HHS Agency Collaborators on this Activity: |
ACF, CDC, HRSA, OS, SAMHSA |
