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" The decision was unanimous: In June of this year, all 50 state attorneys general passed the Teen Dating Violence Education Resolution, which calls for every American student to learn about teen dating violence and abuse each and every year from grades seven through 12. The resolution \u2014 the first of its kind \u2014 finally acknowledges that relationship education is every bit as lifesaving as other safety courses that are taught in school, like alcohol awareness and health class. But passing the resolution is only the first step in making sure that an entire generation of girls never suffers abuse at the hands of a boyfriend or husband. Now, we need your help.  To ensure that the nationwide Teen Dating Violence Education Resolution gets implemented in every middle and high school across the country, REDBOOK has joined Liz Claiborne Inc. in its dating-abuse education campaign: MADE to Stop Teen Dating Abuse \u2014 and we&amp;#039;d like you to join us too. Volunteer to be chosen to be part of this coalition of parents, teachers, and concerned citizens, and you will work with your state&amp;#039;s attorneys general and local school systems and also receive materials and guidance about how to encourage communities to prioritize the promotion of healthy relationships. You can also sign the petition on the MADE website right now. We will be choosing two REDBOOK readers from each state to join the MADE coalition as action leaders and advocates for teen dating education. Want to participate? Nominate yourself by emailing redbook@hearst.com with the subject line &amp;quot;WWS Action Leader&amp;quot; and tell us why you believe relationship violence is an important issue and why you want to be involved. Be sure to include your full name, age, hometown, and contact information. The deadline for entries is December 31, 2008. Let&amp;#039;s work together to make abusive relationships history.  One Grieving Mother&amp;#039;s Crusade Ann Burke remembers her daughter, Lindsay, as an outgoing girl. Lindsay grew up with Ann, her father, Chris, and her brother, also named Chris, in North Kingstown, RI. Shortly after graduating from Rhode Island College with an education degree in 2003, Lindsay met Gerardo Martinez at a wedding. The two began dating, and soon thereafter Ann noticed that Gerardo started acting controlling. &amp;quot;He called Lindsay all the time and they talked for ages,&amp;quot; says Ann. &amp;quot;She changed. She became angry and distant, and I had no idea why.&amp;quot;  Ann says that neither she nor her daughter had ever learned about dating violence, and when she approached Lindsay to talk, Lindsay denied that anything was wrong. When Lindsay finally ended her two-year relationship with Gerardo, Ann felt hopeful, but hesitant. &amp;quot;I was worried because Lindsay wouldn&amp;#039;t change her phone number, which I felt was important to keep her safe,&amp;quot; says Ann. &amp;quot;Plus, I knew they&amp;#039;d broken up and gotten back together before.&amp;quot;  On September 14, 2005, Lindsay visited Gerardo&amp;#039;s apartment to retrieve some of her things, and Ann never saw her daughter again. Gerardo brutally attacked Lindsay, slitting her throat and leaving her to die in the bathtub alongside her stuffed animals. She was 23 years old.  After Gerardo was sentenced to life in prison, Ann searched for answers as to why this had happened. &amp;quot;I did a lot of research about the cycle of abuse,&amp;quot; says Ann. &amp;quot;It enraged me. As a health teacher, I know the value of education, and I thought, This is a major health issue, so why isn&amp;#039;t this being taught in schools?&amp;quot; Determined not to let other teens meet Lindsay&amp;#039;s fate, Ann and her family got to work. They met with Rhode Island attorney general Patrick Lynch and with his support were able to pass the Lindsay Ann Burke Act last year to get a teen-dating-violence curriculum into every Rhode Island middle and high school. &amp;quot;Many people don&amp;#039;t want to believe that domestic violence affects this age group,&amp;quot; says Lynch, &amp;quot;but the statistics show how shockingly prevalent the problem is, and thankfully, our legislation got an overwhelmingly supportive response \u2014 there were tears, hugs, and smiles, and behind it all a hope that from this tragedy would come education and results.&amp;quot;  When the Rhode Island law passed in July 2007, Ann Burke says she felt a real sense of satisfaction that she and Lynch were making a difference. Now that the initiative \u2014 spearheaded by Lynch \u2014 has gone national, she is proud to be teaching the curriculum to educators. &amp;quot;We still had to live with the knowledge of what had happened to our Lindsay, but this was a big hurdle overcome,&amp;quot; says Ann. &amp;quot;We broadened our sight to the national scene, because all students, not just Rhode Island ones, deserve to have this information.&amp;quot;  Partner with educators to teach teens that love is not abuse. SPEAK UP ABOUT ABUSE! To learn more about Liz Claiborne&amp;#039;s Love Is Not Abuse program and to download the free curriculum with talking points to get schools in your area involved, visit  loveisnotabuse.com.  On December 2, REDBOOK and Liz Claiborne Inc. team up for the fifth annual It&amp;#039;s Time to Talk Day. Mark your calendar \u2014 and start a conversation: Talk to kids and parents about the signs of dating abuse, and talk to local schools about dating-violence education.  To contribute to the Lindsay Ann Burke memorial fund, visit  labmf.org/fund/donations. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/life/mom-kids/advice/a4346/teen-dating-violence/>