By New York State Senator Joseph A. Griffo, R-C-Rome, 53rd Senate District
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. This is a time to raise awareness about the negative impact this type of behavior can have on loved ones and families.
Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner, according to the Office on Violence Against Women, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, or technological actions or threats of actions or other patterns of coercive behavior that influence another person within an intimate partner relationship. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.
Anyone can be a victim, or perpetrator, of domestic violence. Statistics from the National Domestic Violence Hotline (The Hotline) show that:
- An average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States — more than 12 million women and men over the course of a single year.
- Nearly 3 in 10 women (29%) and 1 in 10 men (10%) in the U.S. have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner and reported it having a related impact on their functioning.
- Just under 15% of women (14.8%) and 4% of men in the US have been injured as a result of intimate partner violence that included rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.
- 1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.8%) aged 18 and older in the US have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
- Intimate partner violence alone affects more than 12 million people every year.
- Over 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Approximately 1.2 million people contact The Hotline for help every year. Advocates attend extensive training sessions to prepare for crisis intervention support, safety planning, education, advocacy, and referrals for survivors; they also undergo training to support friends, family members, and others concerned about loved ones experiencing abuse situations.
During my time in office, I have secured funding for domestic violence awareness programs and training for several organizations and law enforcement agencies. I also have supported legislation such as the Domestic Violence Protection Act, which would develop a statewide database for domestic violence offenders.
No one should be abused by their supposed loved one, and we must make sure that we are doing all we can to make sure no one is affected by domestic violence.
If you are a victim of domestic violence, I urge you to call The Hotline at 1−800−799−SAFE (7233). You also can text “START” to 88788.
The free and confidential hotline is operated 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
You also can find more information by visiting https://www.thehotline.org/.
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