FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2009
Contact: Katie Laning Niebaum, Leah Vest DiPietro
(202) 224-4843

Domestic Violence Awareness Month
By: Senator Blanche L. Lincoln

As a woman and a U.S. Senator, I have worked throughout my career in public service to help protect those in our society who need a voice.  In 1994, I was proud to be an original cosponsor of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which aims to combat violence against women and children throughout Arkansas and our nation.  Although the incidence of violent crime against women has decreased in the fifteen years since we passed that law, any case is one too many. 

I have visited with victims of abuse and have seen firsthand how devastating domestic violence can be. Earlier this year, I participated in a televised roundtable in Northwest Arkansas alongside domestic violence survivors, experts, and other government officials to discuss the effects of abuse and what we can all do to make a difference in preventing domestic violence.  We must continue the conversation on domestic violence’s impact on our families, and that is why I am highlighting October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 

I was blessed to have grown up in a loving and respectful environment. Others aren’t so lucky. According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, more than 2.5 million women are victims of violence each year and reports also indicate that up to ten million children experience domestic violence in their homes annually.

 
A recent Department of Justice report, “Criminal Victimization, 2008,” found that women are more likely than men to be victimized by someone they know: 

“Seventy percent of all violent crimes against women were committed by a known offender, compared to 49 percent of violence against men.  Twenty-three percent of the non-fatal violence against women was committed by an intimate (current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend), compared to three percent of the violence against men.” 

Research has shown that these numbers tend to rise during tough economic times. According to data collected by the FBI, Arkansas ranked fourth in the nation in 2007 for the number of females murdered by male perpetrators, and 89 percent of them were murdered by someone they knew. 
                                                                                               
According to the Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence, more than 1,500 women were sheltered in 2008 at the 36 identified local domestic violence programs in the state.  The average stay was approximately 19 days.  More than 1,300 children were also sheltered. 

On September 17, 2008, 26 of the 36 shelters participated in a National Census of Domestic Violence Services survey.  During that 24-hour survey period, 379 adults and children were served in Arkansas: 207 adults and children found refuge in domestic shelters or transitional housing, and 172 adults and children received non-residential services that include legal advocacy, counseling, and support groups.

These numbers must come down, and we must all be vigilant about detecting the signs of domestic violence in our friends, family, co-workers, or others who may be at risk.  That is why I have continued to support efforts to reauthorize VAWA throughout the years, which helps provide funds to our shelters and other service providers that are critical to Arkansas’s families in their hour of need.  The most recent renewal of the legislation expands many of VAWA’s prevention and assistance programs for those whose circumstances have been more difficult to address, particularly victims who are disabled, elderly, and persons who live in rural communities.  It will also provide additional funding for rape crisis centers, develop culturally and linguistically specific services for communities, and broaden VAWA service provisions to include children and teens.

Those who are the unfortunate victims of domestic violence must also know where to turn.  The Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence is a tremendous resource and includes a list of shelters and services.  They can be reached at 1-800-269-4668 or online at: www.domesticpeace.com.  In addition, individuals who find themselves in immediate danger should always call 911 or the U.S. Domestic Violence hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.
           
Victims of crime and domestic violence deserve the best services we can provide.  I will continue to highlight initiatives like Domestic Violence Awareness Month and support legislation, such as VAWA, that address domestic violence in Arkansas and across the country by extending support to victims, cracking down on abusers, and most importantly, keeping women and children safe.

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