Working in law enforcement these past 10 years I have seen the victims of domestic violence (DV) and know their stories. After the report is taken and an arrest is made, we pass out information to the victims and refer them to local resources for counseling. But is that enough? No way!
That is way I am delighted that October was designated as Domestic Violence Awareness month in 1987. This evolved from the “Day of Unity” in October 1987 that was conceived by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The intent behind this is to connect battered woman and advocates nationwide who are willing to work to end the violence against women and children. The “Day of Unity” is still observed on the first Monday of October. October is a special month and across the nation there will be a range of activities at the local, state and national level celebrating both the survivors of DV and those people who work to end the violence.
In King County Washington, for example, the Covington Domestic Violence Task Force introduced Purple Night Lights in 2007 as a way to bring attention to the issue of domestic violence. Since 2007, 14 other states have participated in the project. Please check with your local domestic violence advocate group to see what activities are planned that you can participate in.
On October 3rd, President Obama proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness month as has every President since 1989 when Congress passed Public Law 101-112. He called upon Americans to speak out against DV and to support victim assistance. (UPI.com)
But domestic violence is an issue that needs to be addressed everyday. Statistics show that one in four women will experience domestic violence during their lifetime as will as one in thirteen men. Let us not lose sight of the fact that this violence spills over to the children of the victims.
That being said let us all commit to speaking out against domestic violence whenever and wherever we encounter it, not only during October but all year long and every year.