October 30, 2014
Las Vegas, NV – As Domestic Violence Awareness Month comes to a close, Nevada
Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto is encouraging youth to learn about
domestic violence and recognize the signs.
“It is very important for our children and teens to understand that domestic
violence is against the law,” said Masto. “I applaud students who are
working to educate their peers about the signs of domestic and dating violence.”
One way youth, especially girls in K-12, can get involved is by pursuing a
domestic violence merit badge through their local Girl Scouts. General
Masto and her office partnered with Girls Scouts to develop a domestic violence
merit patch in 2009. In order to receive the patch, Girl Scouts must complete
various tasks to first learn about healthy relationships, conduct a service
project and educate their peers, families and communities about domestic
violence. To read more about the partnership, click
here. To learn more about the Peace Begins at Home Patch, click
here..
Victoria McCrea, 20, of Sparks, created a video when she was 17 years old, to
educate her peers about dating violence as part of her project to receive the
Girl Scout Gold Award. The short educational video, “Watch
for the Signs,,” is available on the Attorney General’s YouTube page.
“I hope my video helps others realize the dangers of being in a relationship
involving domestic violence,” said McCrea. “I want the survivors to know
the signs and ways that they can receive help.”
A lifelong advocate for women and children, General Masto has worked on
behalf of Nevada's domestic and sexual violence victims. She has
introduced and passed successful legislation and is the current chair of the
Nevada Council for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the Attorney
General’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Statewide Team.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the
National Domestic Violence Hotline number at 1-800-799-7233. A
list of resources
in Nevada is available online at www.ag.nv.gov..
Click
here to read General Masto’s statement on Domestic Violence Awareness, which
was released earlier this month.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month was created to promote increased rights and
services for domestic violence victims; to educate the public about the crisis
of domestic violence and the prevalence of this epidemic in all of our lives;
and to encourage involvement and support from our community for domestic
violence victims and those who serve them.
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