Full Text
Domestic Violence Awareness Month Proclamation WHEREAS, Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in intimate relationships, used by one partner to exert power and gain control over the other; and WHEREAS, Domestic violence can involve physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or threats or actions; and WHEREAS, Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence, regardless of age, gender, economic status, race, religion, sexual orientation, or education; and WHEREAS, The statistics are sobering: • Nationwide, one in four women will experience domestic violence sometime in her life; • Eighteen domestic violence-related fatalities in Idaho have been reported by the news media this year; • More than 500 victims of domestic violence and their children seek safety and services from community-based domestic violence programs in our State each day; • In 2010, the Idaho State Police documented 5,945 incidents of violence between spouses, ex- spouses, and those in dating relationships, for an average of one reported violent incident every 88 minutes; • In 2010, Idaho courts received 4,637 petitions for domestic violence civil protection orders; • According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2003, health-related costs of intimate partner violence exceed $5.8 billion annually, including nearly $4.1 billion in direct medical and mental health services, and nearly $1.8 billion in lost productivity or wages; • In one 24-hour period domestic violence victim advocates answered 152 emergency hotline calls; • In the same 24-hour period approximately 340 adults and children received non-residential assistance and services, including individual counseling, legal advocacy, and children’s support groups in Idaho last year, but at least 67 requests for services in Idaho went unmet; • Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse provided support to over 400 individuals locally last year; • Ninety-seven of those found safety in our local emergency domestic violence shelter, for a total of 1,921 bed nights; and WHEREAS, Due to reduced funding and a shortage of staff, domestic violence programs are unable to keep up with increasing demands for services; and WHEREAS, Growing up in a violent home can be a significant negative factor in children’s development; and WHEREAS, Responding to domestic violence calls poses a particular risk to law enforcement personnel, due to the emotionally-charged nature of such calls; and WHEREAS, Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse works with local partners, including law enforcement, to provide help to people in Latah and Whitman Counties who are affected by domestic violence; and WHEREAS, Domestic violence shatters lives, destroys families, and devastates communities; and WHEREAS, It is incumbent on all of us to work together to prevent domestic violence, to respond to the needs of victims, and to help ensure that offenders are held accountable; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Nancy Chaney, Mayor for the City of Moscow, do hereby proclaim October 2011 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Moscow and I urge all citizens to join Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse, the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence, and other community partners in efforts to end domestic violence. DATED this 3rd day of October, 2011 Nancy Chaney, Mayor Copy Copy Copy