President Biden issued a proclamation recognizing October as National Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. October’s observation serves as a way to connect and unite individuals and organizations working to combat and raise awareness about domestic violence, to support domestic violence survivors, hold abusers accountable, and create and strengthen legislation to further these goals.
This year also marks 30 years since the first passage of the Violence Against Women Act, which established a coordinated, nationwide response to gender-based violence, lifting social and legal burdens off survivors and onto perpetrators, where they belong. This legislation also created the first-ever National Domestic Violence Hotline, which answered its seven millionth call this year.
Domestic violence is a family, community, and public health issue — and we all share responsibility in working together to prevent it. Domestic violence is characterized as a pattern of coercive behaviors used by an individual to gain or maintain power and control over another individual in the context of an intimate, dating, or familial relationship. These behaviors are not limited to physical violence, but can also include stalking, sexual assault, financial control, verbal abuse, isolation from family and friends, and threats to harm loved ones and pets, among other tactics.
Domestic violence is all too terribly common. It is pervasive across all walks of life, varying age groups, all backgrounds, all communities, all education levels, all economic levels, all cultures, all ethnicities, all religions, all abilities, and all lifestyles. One in three women and one in four men in the United States have experienced experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Each year, more than 12 million adults experience domestic violence, and 1 in 15 children are witnesses to intimate partner violence. Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crimes in the United States.
72% of all murder-suicides in the United States involve an intimate partner, and 94% of the victims of these killings are female. An abuser’s access to a firearm in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%.
Over the past several years, the Virginia General Assembly has taken several steps to combat this issue. In 2020, we passed a law prohibiting respondents to domestic violence protective orders from possessing, purchasing, or transporting firearms, and a bill to require background checks for firearm purchases. Also in 2020, my bill HB 1044 passed, increasing the penalty for the unauthorized use of tracking devices, frequently used by abusers to stalk victims. On July 1st of this year, domestic or sexual abuse victims who have obtained a permanent protective order gained the right to terminate a lease agreement early, if they need to move for their safety.
Domestic violence doesn’t end when October does. Everyone should do their part to learn and recognize the signs and symptoms of domestic violence and learn how to be an engaged bystander on this issue that, unfortunately, affects so many of our neighbors. The Virginia Department of Social Services, and organizations like the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence provide fact sheets and resources on their websites to educate everyone on these abusive behaviors, how to seek help in an abusive relationship, and how to support victims and survivors in our lives.
Sexual and domestic violence programs provide crisis services, emergency shelter, and resource-based support. The Virginia Statewide Hotline is ready to help (24 hours a day, 365 days a year), and sexual and domestic violence programs all over the state. If you or someone you know needs help, please call: 1-800-838-8238, text: 804-793-9999, or chat: https://www.vadata.org//chat/.
To report a crime, call the Fairfax County Police Department at 703-691-2131 or, for emergencies, please call 911. To support charitable efforts to combat domestic violence please consider donating to the Family and Children’s Trust Fund http://www.fact.virginia.gov/donate-2/, the only statewide organization in Virginia devoted to treating and preventing family violence across the lifespan.