National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE
Sept. 30, 2004

NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, tomorrow marks the beginning of October, celebrated nationally as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Earlier this week, this body unanimously passed a resolution that commemorates National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and renews the Senate's commitment to raise awareness about domestic violence and its devastating impact on families. While the Violence Against Women Act has been law for 10 years, none of us can afford to stop talking about domestic violence and encouraging victims to come forward and seek help.

Throughout the month, cities, organizations, businesses, religious institutions, and many others are organizing events to commemorate National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. For instance, Marie Claire magazine and Liz Claiborne Inc. have joined forces to create "Its Time to Talk" Day on October 14 to encourage greater public dialogue about domestic violence. Around the country, media personalities, governmental officials, domestic violence advocates, businesses and the public-at-large will be taking a moment-or more-to talk openly about this "dirty little secret" that affects nearly one in three women in this country.

The health care community has designated October 13 as Health Care Cares About Domestic Violence Day to raise awareness, and encourage doctors and nurses to screen for domestic violence while delivering routine and emergency care. On October 7, Marshall's will donate a percentage of that day's sales from all of its stores to organizations fighting domestic violence. Many communities, from Morrisville, VT to Lake Charles, LA, are holding candlelight vigils to remember and honor victims of domestic violence.

I cannot overestimate the importance of these local and national events that spotlight domestic violence and enlist the whole community to get involved. While much progress has been made at the local, State and Federal level to hold batterers accountable with serious consequences and treat victims with dignity, the scourge of domestic violence is far from over. Progress is not mission accomplished.

Tragic statistics reveal the stark truth that we cannot turn our attention away from fighting domestic violence. On average, each day more than three women are murdered by this husbands or boyfriends. Nearly one in three women experience at least one physical assault by a partner during her lifetime. In a recent poll, nine in ten women said that ending domestic violence was their number one priority. One in five adolescent girls becomes a victim of physical or sexual abuse, or both, in a dating relationship. In addition to the incalculable human costs of domestic violence, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently found that violence against women costs our country in excess of $5.8 billion each year.

As resolute police chiefs retire, State task forces reorganize or committed district attorneys are replaced by newly elected leaders, we must ensure that the messages, protocols, policies, and dialogues fostered by the Violence Against Women Act become institutionalized across the country. We need to usher the Act into the 21st century and implement it with the next generation-recent police academy graduates who want to be trained on handling family violence, newly elected state legislators who want to update State laws on stalking, and the next generation of children who must be taught that abuse will not be tolerated.

Next year the Senate will have the opportunity to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act which may make improvements to core programs, tighten criminal penalties and create new solutions to challenges facing battered women. Some of the initiatives suggested include school-based programs to treat the millions of children who witness domestic violence, home visitation programs to prevent family violence, targeted training and education about domestic violence for health professionals, and greater transitional housing resources. I look forward to working with my colleagues to craft a comprehensive and balanced Violence Against Women Act of 2005.

In the meantime, I thank the countless men and women working tirelessly in their hometowns to end domestic violence. As I have said before, these advocates, lawyers, service providers, judges, police, nurses, shelter directors and many more, are saving lives, one woman at a time. During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we have a chance to acknowledge their hard work, talk loud and clear about domestic violence and support the courageous women escaping violent homes.