First commemorated in 1987, Domestic Violence Awareness month serves to raise awareness about domestic violence in the United States and bring forward the voices of survivors of intimate partner violence. This October is the 30th anniversary of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Each year, 10 million people are victims of domestic violence. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men will become victims of physical domestic violence in their lifetime.
Furthermore, there is a clear connection between domestic violence and gun violence. The likelihood of domestic violence turning into a homicide increases by 500% when a gun is present. 4.5 million women report having been intimidated or coerced with a gun by an intimate partner.
Domestic violence doesn’t exclusively affect heterosexual couples; according to the CDC National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 43.8 percent of lesbians, 61.1 percent of bisexual women, and 35 percent of heterosexual women, along with 26 percent of gay men, 37.3 percent of bisexual men, and 29 percent of heterosexual men report having been a victim of intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
Abusive relationships are not always physical; survivors of domestic violence often endure emotional, mental, financial, and reproductive abuse.
Break the silence, get involved, and support survivors. For more resources, click here.
Resources: Feminist Newswire 10/6/17, 10/11/17; Everytown Research 4/11/17; The Washington Post 6/15/17; NCADV
