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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; Over the past year, the non-profit Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse provided 2,907 free in-person advocacy-based counseling sessions, including 1,350 sessions for clients from Idaho; Domestic violence victim advocates from ATVP answered 3,777 emergency hotline calls last year, including 1,559 from Idaho; 53 of those victims and their children found safety in ATVP’s emergency shelter, for a total of 528 bed nights; and WHEREAS, Due to reduced funding and other resources, domestic violence programs are strained to keep up with demands for services; and WHEREAS, Growing up in a violent home can be a significant negative factor in children’s development; and WHEREAS, Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse works with law enforcement and other local partners to provide help, including shelter, to people in Latah and Whitman Counties who are affected by domestic violence; and WHEREAS, Last year, ATVP provided 103 educational and regional outreach sessions to some 10,286 attendees; and WHEREAS, Awareness of the problem is the first step, but it is incumbent on all of us to work together to prevent domestic violence, to respond to the needs of victims, to speak out, and to help ensure that offenders are held accountable; NOW THEREFORE, I, Nancy Chaney, Mayor for the City of Moscow, do hereby proclaim October 2013 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Moscow, and I urge all citizens to help end domestic violence. DATED this 7th day of October, 2013 Nancy Chaney, Mayor Copy Copy Copy