WBUR 5/14/13: Parents Of Slain Wayland Teen Call For Violence Prevention. The parents of a Wayland teen killed by a former boyfriend are urging lawmakers to require dating violence prevention as part of health and sexual education programs in public schools. Malcolm Astley, a retired principal, and Mary Dunne, a pre-kindergarten teacher, became emotional at times as they testified before the Legislature’s Education Committee. Dunne told the panel that while schools are focusing on academic performance and standardized tests, they have lost sight of teaching children about healthy relationships, empathy and caring. Astley told WBUR that education in high school about dealing with relationships is vital to ending domestic violence.
WBZ News 5/14/13: Lauren Astley’s Parents Call For Teen Dating Violence Prevention. Fighting back tears, Mary Dunne, the mother of murdered Wayland teen Lauren Dunne Astley told state lawmakers on Tuesday that preventing teen dating abuse starts and ends with education and communication. Before a joint committee on education both of Lauren’s parents testified at the State House, pushing for strong comprehensive bill to promote teaching of healthy relationships and violence prevention in all Massachusetts schools.
NECN 5/14/13: Parents call for schools to teach about healthy relationships. The mother of Lauren Dunne Astley is urging lawmakers to prevent what happened to her daughter from happening to others. The 18-year-old from Wayland, Mass. was murdered by her ex-boyfriend two years ago. “Schools need to keep pace by teaching the fourth R, relationships, keeping it at the top of the agenda,” said Mary Dunne. Astley’s mother and father both testified before the Joint Committee on Education. They’re calling for new laws that would require schools to teach children about healthy relationships and violence prevention, especially with regards to teen dating.
Boston Globe 5/14/13: Parents of slain Wayland teenager urge lawmakers to enact teen relationship and violence education in schools. The mother of Wayland murder victim Lauren Dunne Astley today called on legislators to mandate comprehensive dating violence education in Massachusetts schools, saying that if her daughter had only received the “pearl of wisdom” never to go alone to visit an ex-boyfriend, she might still be alive. “If only she had learned and internalized that singularly important lesson,” said Mary Dunne, who spoke with her former husband and Astley’s father, Malcolm Astley, to the Joint Committee on Education in the State House today. Behind them, their daughter beamed in a blown up version of her senior portrait. “That small pearl of wisdom should be ingrained in our children as deeply as buckling their seat belts and recycling their bottles and cans.”
Metrowest Daily News 5/14/13: Parents of slain Wayland teen urge state to require relationship ed. The parents of slain Wayland teenager Lauren Astley made a heartfelt plea to lawmakers on Tuesday to implement comprehensive teen relationship and violence education in public schools, hoping to prevent other families from enduring a similar tragedy. Choking back tears, Astley’s mother Mary Dunne said her 18-year-old daughter did not follow the simple dating rule that a young woman should never visit their ex-partner alone after a breakup.
