PS proposes campaigns against dating violence for youth empowerment

The PS Parliamentary Group proposes that the Government launch national campaigns to combat dating violence, with the provision of information on existing support for victims.

In the draft resolution (a recommendation, without the force of law) to which the Lusa agency had access, the socialist deputies want the Government to “promote regular national campaigns on the impact of dating violence for a life of autonomy, without fear, and the empowerment of young people for healthy relationships free from violence, where the themes of dating violence, ‘stalking’, ‘sextorsion’, among others, are addressed, through dynamic methodologies that promote the involvement of young people in processes of change healthy.”

The PS also recommends that monitoring of cases of dating violence be ensured and that information be made available “to young people about the existing support for those who need monitoring” and that “safe spaces be created where young people can talk about feelings and doubts”.

Deputies Elza Pais, Patrícia Faro and Isabel Moreira, who signed the initiative, also ask for the disclosure of “the number of cases monitored by services and/or referred to other entities, indicating which entities they are”.

They also advocate that “themes such as respect, consent and gender equality” be included in approaches to dating violence” and the impact “of campaigns or other initiatives implemented to prevent and combat dating violence” be evaluated.

In the draft resolution, the PS Parliamentary Group says that “there are several diagnoses and studies that have revealed a very worrying reality of situations of dating violence, especially among younger people”.

“Despite all the interventions carried out, campaigns launched and legislative changes made, the phenomenon of dating violence persists at high percentages, which continue to raise serious concerns”, warn the socialists.

The PS also argues that “dating violence is combatted through prevention strategies for education for rights and citizenship, which should, among others, be part of the syllabus of the Citizenship Education discipline, which should specifically have a unit on dating violence”.