Dating-violence measure stalled in Utah Senate

In the middle of the legislative session last month, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. declared Feb. 5-10 Dating Violence Prevention Week.

"Dating violence is one of the fastest growing and most serious violent crimes in Utah today," he said as he signed the proclamation.

The Utah Senate apparently didn't get the message. Shortly thereafter it killed a bill designed to safeguard those in a violent dating relationship.

Ned Searle, director of the state Office on Violence Against Women and Children, and state allies have identified dating violence as a key component in the state's efforts to prevent domestic violence. "We don't have any laws that protect kids who are dating," he said.

The Utah House defeated a similar measure last year, but domestic violence experts and advocates started early this year. The Utah Domestic Violence Council championed HB28 in this legislative session, and advocates against domestic violence worked behind the scenes to line up support. But the Utah Eagle Forum opposed the bill on grounds it could infringe on gun rights.

The bill passed in the House of Representatives but died in the Senate.

The bill's failure dealt another blow to efforts in the state to head off violence before it gets worse.

"It is very unfortunate that lack of education has had this result," said Barbara Higgins, who gives community presentations on dating violence and is the director of Youth Court in Sandy.

"We haven't done very well in Utah with prevention," Searle said. "Almost all of our money is spent after the incident occurs."

The dating violence legislation proposed this winter would have allowed people as young as 16 to obtain a protective order against an abusive boyfriend or girlfriend. Under current law, protective orders are available only in married or cohabitant situations.

The proposed law defined dating as a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature, regardless of whether it involved sexual intimacy.

Megan, who got out of a violent relationship that started in high school, could have used a law like this.

Megan started a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship with "Robert" when she was 14. He was the cool kid at school and a straight-A student, and Megan was a dancer with good grades and tons of girlfriends. Later, the two shared mutual friends and socialized as a group, but at age 15, Robert became more controlling and possessive.