The Virginian-Pilot
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Virginia earned a failing grade from a national teen dating violence prevention organization in its annual report.
Break the Cycle, in its 2009 State-by-State Teen Dating Violence Report Card says that Virginia, along with 15 other states, does not specify who can file for a protection order on behalf of a juvenile, according to the group.
The group offers education and intervention for teens and advocates for laws to protect and promote healthy teens, a press release says. Its members believe that anyone 12 or older should be able to file for a civil protection order and that states should remove requirements for parental involvement, permission or notification.
Ten states received failing grades, according to the release.
To read more about the group’s findings on Virginia and other states, go here.
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By that logic, anyone 12 or older is mentally developed enough to make rational decisions with regard to their own health and well being and can rationalize both the short and long term consequences of those decisions.
And folks wonder why 12y/o think they know everything. The state wants to make them all grown up before their time. Kids today don't have a childhood...they go from diapers to dating in 2.2 seconds. A 12y/o can make that type of determination but can't be tried as an adult when they commit adult crimes...go figure.
stupid State...
"anyone 12 or older should be able to file for a civil protection order"
Really? Even those clearly mentally disabled?
What?
"...anyone 12 or older should be able to file for a civil protection order and that states should remove requirements for parental involvement, permission or notification."
By that logic, anyone 12 or older is mentally developed enough to make rational decisions with regard to their own health and well being and can rationalize both the short and long term consequences of those decisions. So, how many other aspects of their lives does that logic extend to? Should parents still be held responsible for the actions of their children after the age of 12? If abused 12 year old children should be allowed to make those types of "adult" decisions then, when unabused children commit crimes that that would seemingly require far less mental ability to understand the consequences of, should they be charged as adults?