Domestic Violence Awareness Month has become a time to celebrate survivors, encourage advocates, empower victims, and mourn the deaths of those lost to domestic violence. Around the country, communities are coming together this month to hold vigils, public awareness programs, survivor speak outs and take back the night marches, and town hall meetings. As a result of federal resources authorized by Congress and provided through the Department of Justice - Office on Violence Against Women, among others, we have seen the development of specialized domestic law enforcement units and prosecution programs, as well specific programs to meet the needs of underserved communities. Through the Department of Health and Human Services, we have also seen new research and an emphasis on the impact on children who have witnessed violence in the home.
Building safe homes and safe communities requires shelter and housing, law enforcement protection, access to justice, and economic opportunity. In December 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the first-ever National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey which found that domestic violence affects more than 12 million people each year, nearly 1 in 5 women have been raped in their lifetime and 1 in 4 have been a victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner.
What can you do? Become knowledgeable about the facts, identify resources in your community and raise awareness. Support victims who are rebuilding their lives. Support advocates with better resources and law enforcement tools. Support the passage of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization bill currently pending in Congress.
Get Involved! Take time to thank the hotline workers who work the night shift to be there around the clock for victims in need. Pay tribute to the shelter workers who show that they care every day and the law enforcement officers who treat victims with dignity and respect when they knock on a door. Acknowledge the prosecutors who take on tough cases and the doctors who screen their patients for domestic violence. Thank the community-based organizations that reach people in their neighborhoods and the faith leaders who speak out about ending domestic violence.
Make sure your city and county government have employee assistance workplace policies in place. Be an example for the private sector. Domestic violence causes two million injuries each year, and an average of three women in the United States die each day as a result of domestic violence. The CDC estimates that domestic violence costs our nation $8 billion a year in lost productivity and health care costs alone, and other studies have suggested that the full economic impact is even higher.
Domestic violence remains a significant problem facing individuals, families and communities. While a disproportionate number of victims are women, domestic violence affects the entire family. Spend this October – Domestic Violence Month -- getting your own house in order and thanking those serving on the front line every day.
