October Is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
The month of October represents Domestic Violence Awareness Month. One of the purposes is to help raise awareness to this important issue. This designation originated and evolved from the first “Day of Unity” that started in October of 1981 by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. It was created to help connect battered women’s advocates to come together across the nation to bring awareness to this important issue. This is a troubling issue, and the awareness month works to try and help combat violence against women as well as their children.
Over time, the Day of Unity evolved into an expanded awareness campaign that held a special week with a range of activities that were conducted on the national, state, and local levels. The activities have a broad scope and include a diverse mission to define a group of core objectives in combating domestic violence. Some of these principles are to remember and mourn those who have tragically lost their life as a result of domestic violence, celebrate those who have prevailed from these violent circumstances, and also find ways to connect those individually impacted by domestic violence and ultimately try to eradicate these types of situations.
As time progressed, this awareness campaign continued to grow, and eventually in October of 1987, the campaign observed its first Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In addition, the first national toll-free hotline was established that same year. Shortly thereafter, the United States Congress passed the Domestic Violence Awareness Month Commemorative Legislation. Legislation regarding this issue has passed every year since then and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) provides strong leadership toward this effort. A few years later, in October of 1994, the NCADV worked in conjunction with Ms. Magazine to create the “Remember My Name” project that is a national registry that increases public awareness to domestic violence deaths. Since the creation of this project, the NCADV has been working to collect this type of information, and they produce a poster each October, listing the names of those individuals that were documented in that year.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence provides some helpful guidelines for accessing help and support. Some of their guidelines are as follows:
• Get a list of possible resources from different places/programs/organizations. Most states have the free phone service 2-1-1 which will connect you to advocates who can help you find additional resources in your area.
• Have essential documents available when you go to an appointment: birth certificates, identifications with pictures, driver’s license, passports, and utility bills (to show residency). Learn what documents you will need ahead of time.
• Do not be discouraged by a rejection. If you can, try again.
• If you are not comfortable with the person you are working with, ask for another advocate or counselor or try and find another domestic violence program.
• Make your calls from a place where you can engage in a conversation and take care of possible interruptions ahead of time (e.g., have little ones take a nap or call when children are playing at the neighbor’s).
• Be patient, speak clearly, and do not give your story to the person who answers the phone or the first contact person. More than likely, you will have to tell your story all over again to the person qualified to help you. Instead, give clear, specific information about what you need (e.g., “I need a pro-bono family law attorney for a child custody case and I am a victim of domestic violence”). Then let the service provider ask you for the information they need to qualify you for the services. If possible, have an advocate initiate the contact with the referred service provider.
If you would like to learn more about the finding ways to help address this issue we invite you to visit the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence as well as the Women’s Shelter of South Texas.
If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this week’s article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. Please always feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or issues regarding a Texas state agency, or if you would like to contact my office regarding constituent services. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
– State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part) County. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
